\\\\ 11 The History of the
CHAPLAIN CORPS
United States Navy
VOLUME SIX • DURING THE KOREAN WAR
27 June 1950 - 27 June 1954
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Marine bugler sounds Church Call at dedication of first permanent
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The History of the
CHAPLAIN CORPS
UNITED STATES NAVY
VOLUME SIX • DURING THE KOREAN WAR
27 June 1950-27 June 1954
* NAVPERS 15936
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Boston Public Library
Superintendent of Documents
OEC 1 - 1960
DEPOSITOR*
United States Government Printing Office
Washington : 1 960
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington 25, D.C. Price $2.75
"On behalf of the American public, I want
to congratulate our chaplains on the fine work
they are doing and the service they are per-
forming. Today, as our country has joined the
other United Nations in the struggle which has
given us the greatest chance for lasting peace
this generation has had, military chaplains are
performing their services at home, on foreign
shores, in ships at sea, and in the front lines of
the Korean battlefield.
"The military chaplain is a man who braves
many dangers as he does his work serving God
and the young men defending the nation's
spiritual traditions."
President Harry S Truman
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NORTH KOREAN AGGRESSION
27 June-2 November 1950
Page
Chapter 1 :
The Pusan Perimeter 5
First Naktong 5
Second Naktong 8
MAG 33 9
7th Fleet 10
ComNavFE 10
Chaplains in the Fleet 11
Chaplain SOP 12
Letters of Condolence 13
Mission Completed 14
THE INCHON-SEOUL OPERATION
13 September-7 October 1950
Chapter 2:
Victory Over Time and Tide 15
Liberation of Seoul 15
Chaplain Casualties 19
Combat Ministry 19
Heroic Service 21
Chaplains Afloat 23
Ships of Mercy 25
"Mighty Mo" 26
Yictorv in the Grasp 27
COMMUNIST CHINESE AGGRESSION
3 November 1950-24 January 1951
Chapter 3:
Wonsan to the Reservoir 33
Air Wing Chaplains 34
Chinese Intervention 35
Thanksgiving Day, 1950 36
Crisis at Yudam-ni 38
The Bitter Withdrawal 39
First Stage 40
Psalms at Hagaru 41
Greater Love Hath No Man 42
... to the Sea 42
"Shores of Tripoli" 44
Wall of Fire 44
Chapter 3 — Continued page
End of an Epic 45
Four Chaplains Award 45
Back to the Bean Patch 47
Operation Helping Hand 47
In Time of Trouble 48
First Korean Christmas 49
In Keeping With the Highest 51
Enemy High Tide 52
FIRST UNITED NATIONS COUNTEROFFENSIVE
25 January-21 April 1951
Chapter 4:
United Nations Counteroffensive 53
"Operation Ripper"' 55
Rotation System 55
Corps Expansion 56
New Division Chaplain 57
Chaplain Field Training 58
Chaplains Wounded 59
Chaplains Cited 59
Chaplains at Work 61
Easter 1951 62
Korean Christians 63
Special Services 64
Relief Work 64
Marine Air Wing 65
Air Wing Chaplains 66
Seaborne Artillery 66
Seaborne Padres 67
The Bridge of Toko-ri 67
PatRons 67
MSTS 68
Itinerating 69
Services 69
"Operation Welcome" 70
Annual Report 70
MSTS Pac Roster 71
Eve of Fury 72
CHINESE COMMUNIST SPRING OFFENSIVE
22 April-8 July 1951
Chapter 5:
Second Punch 73
Advance to the Punchbowl 76
First Anniversary 76
Kelly Reporting 77
Roster of Chaplains 77
Chinese Strike 79
Beginning of Advance 79
Comic Relief 80
Ministry to Wounded 82
Chapter 5 — Continued Page
Services 82
Hill 676 82
"Such a Man as I" 83
First Permanent Chapel 84
Marine Air 85
New Wing Chaplain 85
Further Activities 86
ComNavFE 87
ComNavFE Chaplain Roster 87
Yokosuka 88
NEW JERSEY 88
Other Ships 88
Commendation 89
ComCruDesPac [Incl. Roster] 89
Why We Fought 90
Truce Talks 91
UNITED NATIONS SUMMER-FALL OFFENSIVE
9 July-27 November 1951
Chapter 6:
Breathing Spell 92
Work Goes on 92
Kaesong Truce Talks 94
UN Offensive 95
11-18 September 95
Two Chaplains Wounded 96
The "Medics" 96
Vignettes 97
Further Awards 97
Chaplain Peck Comes Aboard 98
Air Wing 100
Moral Welfare Program 100
Chaplain Barnes' Diary 101
Helicopter Troop Lifts 102
"Track Busting" 102
BON HOMME RICHARD 102
ESSEX 103
ANTIETAM 103
Seaborne Artillery 1 04
PhibPac 104
Hospital Ships 104
"Talking Letters" 105
Services 105
"Well Done" 106
Korean Navy Chaplaincy 1 06
Chaplain Chung 1 07
On Solid Ground 107
Nationalist Chinese Chaplaincy 108
Unit Citations 108
Winterizing 1 08
Talks Resumed 109
SECOND KOREAN WINTER
28 November 1951-30 April 1952
Chapter 7: Page
DivChap Slant 110
Christmas 1951 110
Christmas in Valley Forge Ill
1st MAW 112
Christmas in the Air Wing 112
WISCONSIN 114
Hanukkah 117
Division Roster 118
Korean Winter 118
Comment on Training 119
Composite Picture 119
Individual Aspects 119
"God Fixed That One" 121
Lay Leadership 121
11th Marines Memorial 1 22
Rotation 122
Chaplain T/O 122
Air-Gun Strikes 123
Destroyers 123
Carrier Chaplains 124
Escort Carriers 1 24
Easter 1952 126
Citations 1 27
Ridge-runners Rewarded 128
MAW Chaplain Personnel 129
Divine Services 129
Relief Work 130
MAW Chaplains Cited 130
COMNAVFE Chaplains Cited 130
Atsugi Chapel 131
PhibPac 131
MSTS 131
Panmunjom Talks 132
Change of Scene 1 32
KOREAN DEFENSE— SUMMER-FALL 1952
1 May-30 November 1952
Chapter 8:
May Day 134
Rotation of Chaplains 1 37
Chaplain Distribution 1 38
Chaplains Information Booklet 141
"Marine Padres, Inc." 142
Reserve Chaplains 143
Chaplains in Action 143
Chaplains' Chaplain 144
"Bunker Hill" 146
"Siberia" 146
Combat Footnotes 148
Chapter 8 — Continued Page
Religious Ministry 148
Chinese Upsurge 1 52
Bronze Star Awards 1 53
Letter of Commendation Award 153
Air Wing Chaplain Parker 1 53
Chaplains Aboard 156
Relief Work 1 57
USS HAVEN 159
Perspective on Korea 159
Stalemate 160
The Corps 160
THIRD KOREAN WINTER
1 December-30 April 1953
Chapter 9:
First Marine Division Reserve Officers Association 161
Chaplain of the Year 1 74
Truce Talks 174
Little Switch 174
The First Marine Air Wing 179
Forces Afloat 182
MSTS 182
Chaplain of the Year B'nai B'rith 184
KOREAN DEFENSE
Summer and Fall 1953
Chapter 10:
The First Marine Division 185
The Chief of Chaplains' Visit 185
Battle Reports 186
The Truce 189
Awards 190
Sunday Routine 191
The First Marine Air Wing 191
MSTS 192
Forces Afloat 193
ARMISTICE AFTERMATH
27 July 1953-27 July 1954
Chapter 1 1 :
The First Marine Division 194
Big Switch 194
Division Roster — September 1953 201
Awards 201
Chapels and Worship 201
Clergy Visitations 205
Division Roster— July 1954 206
Third Marine Division 206
The First Marine Air Wing 207
Forces Afloat 208
Chapter 11 — Continued Page
MSTS 209
Rest and Rehabilitation 210
End of Campaign 210
CIVILIAN ASSISTANCE
Chapter 12:
The Homeless 211
Pusan 212
Masan 214
Inchon 217
Seoul 219
Pyongteck 221
Pohangdon 222
Wonsan 227
Kangnung 227
Refugee Camps 228
Kumchon 229
Others 229
Inactive Reserve Chaplains in the Far East 229
Orphans Adopt Marines 230
Distribution 230
Building Churches 231
Civilian Worship 231
The Interpreter 231
On Land and Sea 231
The Korean Service Corps 232
Schools 234
EPILOGUE
Redeployment 235
Special Emblem 235
Operation Glory 235
Summary 235
Awards 238
Silver Star 238
Legion of Merit 238
Bronze Star 238
Air Medal 238
Letter of Commendation 238
Purple Heart 240
Appendices:
A. Unit Citations 241
Presidential Unit Citations 241
Navy Unit Commendation 241
Army Distinguished Unit Citation 241
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation 242
B. (1) 1st Provisional Marine Brigade 243
B. (2) Chaplains' Special Action Report of 30 August-9 October 1950 5th Marines 247
C. SOP— Chaplains, FMF, Pacific 251
D. SOP Chaplains 1 st Marine Division 253
E. Divine Services — 1st Marine Division — 19 February 1952 255
Appendices — Continued Page
Bibliography 260
Index Proper Names 261
Index Commands, Operations, Ships 269
General Index 277
Rear Adm. George A. Rosso, CHC, USN Chief of Chaplains.
FOREWORD
This is the sixth volume of History of the Chaplains
Corps, United States Navy. The first volume pub-
lished in 1949 presents a narrative account of the de-
velopment of the Corps from the Revolutionary War
to the declaration of a state of emergency on 8 Septem-
ber 1939.
The second volume continues the narrative history
of the Chaplains Corps from 8 September 1939 to the
spring of 1949. The next three volumes are biog-
raphies of Navy chaplains.
The present volume narrates the history of the
Chaplains Corps during the Korean Conflict from 27
June 1950 to 27 June 1954. It primarily concerns
the chaplains in combat. Therefore, naval chaplains
who were assigned to the 1st Marine Division and
supporting units are most often mentioned. The
latter category would include the 1st Marine Air Wing
where chaplains worked with replacements and
wounded brought from the front and still found time
to do relief work. It also refers to the chaplains who
were assigned to ships which were involved in surface
and air action, and those who served aboard hospital
and MSTS ships giving needed aid and support to all
United Nations troops in Korea. There were others
who served in more secondary but important billets.
There is always a danger in the composition of a
history that almost assuredly some "unsung heroes"
will fail to receive recognition for their accomplish-
ments. Every attempt has been made to "let the
chaplains speak". Much of this volume will record
their own accounts of what took place.
The History of the Chaplain Corps, United
States Navy, volume VI, has been the product of
three chaplains working successively. As a result
there was the situation of "planting, watering, and
reaping." The last writer has attempted to retain
much of the structure and planning to which he fell
heir.
Chaplain Clifford M. Drury (retired), formerly the
Chaplain Corps historian and writer of the first four
volumes, started this history. Chaplain Paul S.
Sanders continued the collection of material and
organizing the book. Special tribute should be given
to Reserve Chaplain W. Ivan Hoy, associate professor
of religion at the University of Miami, who was the
final writer of the text. He successfully followed the
pattern set by previous writers, coordinated the loose
details, and completed the volume for publication.
This volume has evolved from the plans to publish
a volume of the history treating with the period from
the spring of 1949 until the present. One chapter was
to have dealt with the Korean Conflict. It became
apparent that one chapter of reasonable size in a
volume of this type would not do justice to the activi-
ties of the chaplains in Korea. It was, therefore, de-
termined that a separate volume on Korea be pro-
duced. This was to be followed with the publication
of the other material in an additional volume. Be-
cause of this decision some of the material from For-
mosa, Japan and other Far Eastern areas has not been
included. It was decided that the present volume
should deal for the most part with chaplains immedi-
ately concerned with the conflict. It is to be desired
that all material not directly concerned with Korea,
but dealing with the Orient, be considered in the
volume yet to be produced.
In these pages you will find the thrilling and in-
spiring service of Navy chaplains. Their dedication
to God and their country should go down in the an-
nals of our great nation. As the present Chief of
Chaplains I look back at the Corps during those fateful
Korean War days and proclaim that I am proud to
be associated with such a dedicated group of clergy-
men. They answered a call to serve and they did so
in an outstanding manner.
George A. Rosso,
Rear Admiral, CHC, USN,
Chief of Chaplains.
November 1959.
INTRODUCTION
TO HALT AGGRESSION
On 25 June 1950 North Korean forces crossed the
38th Parallel and began an invasion of South Korea.1
Two days later the Security Council of the United
Nations condemned this act of aggression as a breach
of world peace and requested its members to come to
the assistance of the Republic of Korea. The same
day President Harry S. Truman announced that he
had ordered United States naval and air forces to give
the South Koreans "cover and support." A blockade
of the entire Korean coast was instigated.2 Japan-
based Air Force units were authorized to bomb specific
military targets north of the 38th Parallel. Gen.
Douglas C. MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander
of Far Eastern Occupation Forces, with headquarters
in Tokyo, was made the Commander in Chief of the
United Nations Command. On 29 June the President
authorized him to employ certain supporting U.S.
ground forces in Korea.
1 For background on Korea and events leading up to the
North Korean invasion, see L. M. Goodrich, Korea: A Study
of U.S. Policy in the United Nations (New York, 1956), chs.
I-IV. Chap. V deals with the United Nations response to
the armed attack upon a free republic.
See also: Lynn Montross and N. A. Canzona, U.S. Marine
Operations in Korea, 1950-53; vol. I, The Pusan Perimeter
(Washington, 1954), chs. I, II and the beginning of ch. III.
Ibid.; vol. II, The Inchon-Seoul Operation (Washington,
1955), ch. I. Also M. W. Cagle and F. A. Manson, The Sea
War in Korea (Annapolis, 1957 ) , ch. I.
The North Koreans invaded the Republic of Korea at 0401),
Sunday, 25 June 1950. Since Seoul is 14 hours ahead of
eastern standard time, that was 1500 in New York and Wash-
ington (then on daylight time), Saturday, 24 June 1950.
Dates in this book are those of the place under discussion.
The U.S. State Department received official notice of the
invasion from Ambassador Muccio shortly past 9 p.m. on the
Saturday night. By 3 a.m. of the Sunday morning Secretary
General Trygve Lie of the United Nations was given the news
at his home. The United States asked for a meeting of the
Security Council, which met at 2 p.m. on Sunday. With the
Russian delegate voluntarily absent and Yugoslavia abstain-
ing, the Security Council put the blame for aggression directly
upon North Korea and ordered a withdrawal of its troops
from the South.
2 A lively account of the 7th Fleet's involvement from
the beginning is Walter Karig, M. W. Cagle and F. A. Man-
son, Battle Report; vol. VI, The War in Korea (New York,
1952), chs. 1-5.
On the Navy's blockade and bombardment missions, from
the beginning to the end of the Korean War, see Cagle and
Manson, op. cit., ch. 9.
Neither moral suasion nor economic sanctions had
been sufficient in the years preceding the outbreak
of World War II to prevent or halt the aggression of
Japan, Italy, and Germany. The League of Nations,
helpless before naked power, had been effectively de-
stroyed as the agent of international order. Now the
United Nations Security Council (with Russia volun-
tarily absent and Yugoslavia abstaining) determined
not only to condemn but also to combat aggression.
Fifty-three nations (excluding only the U.S.S.R. and
her satellites Poland and Czechoslovakia of the entire
United Nations membership) approved the decision of
the Security Council and pledged military, medical,
and economic assistance. A remote Asiatic peninsula,
whose very location was unknown to many Americans,
thus became, before the end of the year, the scene of
the fourth most costly war effort in American history,
both in blood and money.3
When hostilities began the Marine Corps had two
divisions, both seriously understrength. Even with
most of the men of the 2d Marine Division trans-
ferred to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton,
Calif., the combined strength was still so low that
Reserves had to be called to active duty to build the
1st Division up to full wartime strength. The mobili-
zation of the Marine Corps Reserve was ordered by
President Truman with the sanction of Congress on
19 July.4 Maj. Gen. Oliver P. Smith assumed com-
mand of the 1st Division, consisting of the 1st, 5th,
and 7th Marines (infantry regiments) and the 11th
Marines (an artillery regiment), together with the
usual supporting battalions (Headquarters, Ordnance,
Medical, Supply, etc.). Reserve units hastily as-
sembled at Camp Pendleton were integrated into
the Division. Only a cadre had been left at Camp
Lejeune, N.C., around which to rebuild the 2d Divi-
sion, largely of Reserves. A reinforced battalion of
some 900 men (3d Battalion, 6th Marines, 2d Marine
3 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, p. 1.
'Marine Corps Gazette (September 1951). E. H. Giusti,
"Minute Men — 1950 Model: The Reserves in Action."
Also Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, ch. Ill; vol. II,
ch. II.
1 —
Division) attached to the 6th Fleet in the Mediter-
ranean was sent around the world through the Suez
Canal; arriving in Kobe, Japan, on 7 September it
would be assimilated into the 7th Marines and
dispatched to Inchon.
A Marine division in World War II had an allow-
ance of 16 chaplains. Following the war, the Tables
of Organization of the Marine Corps were revised
to call for 26 chaplains to a division, plus any addi-
tional who might be assigned to attached units. The
increase in chaplain strength was partly the result
of the enlargement of the total strength of a Marine
combat division; it was in part also a recognition by
the Marine Corps of the fine work done by Navy
chaplains serving with Marines in World War II.
At the time of the outbreak of hostilities in Korea,
21 Naval Reserve chaplains, on inactive duty, were
attached to various Organized Marine Reserve units
scattered throughout the country. When these units
were activated the chaplains concerned were also
called to active duty. The fact that they had re-
ceived compensation for their service with Organized
Reserve units was taken by the Bureau of Naval
Personnel as an indication that they had already
volunteered for active duty. Three of the twenty-one
were released to inactive duty shortly after reporting.
Among those recalled who served with the 1st
Marine Division in Korea in the opening months of
the conflict were Chaplains William N. Lyons, Preston
D. Parsons, and Robert L. Patton. Chaplain Godfrey
J. Reilly had returned to active duty in June 1950
shortly before the North Korean invasion.
In answer to General MacArthur's request for at
least a Marine Regimental Combat Team, there was
assembled at Camp Pendleton the 1st Marine Pro-
visional Brigade; activated on 7 July, it sailed from
San Diego on 14 July some 6,500 strong.5 A com-
bined ground-air team, the Brigade's ground forces
consisted of the 5th Marines, at that time the only
Marine infantry regiment of approximate combat
strength, the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines (artillery),
and company-sized support units. Air support was
Marine Aircraft Group 33, consisting primarily of
three fighter squadrons. Orlando Ingvoldstad, Jr.,
was the Brigade chaplain, and there were three
others with the ground units: Bernard L. Hickey,
5 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, pp. 49ff. A lively
account may be found in Andrew Geer, The New Breed (New
York, 1952). Ch. I is entitled "A Fire Starts; the Fire
Brigade Is Called."
See appendix B(l) of this present volume for comments
regarding chaplain activities on Troop Transports, in Chap-
lain Orlando Ingvoldstad's Battle Report of 14 July-12
September 1950.
William G. Tennant, and Otto E. Sporrer. John H.
Markley was chaplain for the aircraft unit.
So hastily were the Marines hustled aboard trans-
ports for Korea that there was no time to check them
aboard. A head count was made after the ships were
at sea. On one the results showed plus 12! Gen.
Randolph McC. Pate, when afterward as Comman-
dant of the Marine Corps he recounted this story to a
Navy League convention, commented that the 12
were "read off" publicly, commended privately, and
the matter closed.
The main body of the 1st Division sailed from San
Diego 10-22 August and completed debarking at
Kobe, Japan, on 3 September.6 Chaplain Joseph G.
Power, in his reply to a questionnaire distributed by
the Chaplains Division in March 1954, commented on
the work of chaplains in the trans-Pacific crossing:
I remember the services in the GENERAL M. C. MEIGS
on the way to Japan, with four Protestant chaplains holding
Divine Services in different parts of the ship simultaneously.
Each service must have had well over 200 Marines in at-
tendance.
Roman Catholic chaplains were also affording a
spiritual ministry to the men of their faith. Navy
chaplains were again observing a phenomenon fre-
quently noticed during World War II — an increased
interest in religion on the part of men facing grave
danger. The old proverb was illustrated anew, that
"man's extremity is God's opportunity."
The duties of chaplains serving with Marines were
outlined in the U.S. Marine Corps Staff Manual,
1948. paragraph 241, as follows:
Chaplain:
a. Advises the commander and staff in religious and moral
activities of the command.
b. Supervises the spiritual welfare of the command.
c. Conducts religious services, including funerals.
d. Gives spiritual ministrations to the sick and wounded.
e. Corresponds with relatives of deceased personnel.
f. Coordinates the religious work of the various welfare
agencies.
g. Supervises and coordinates the assignment, training,
and work of the chaplains of subordinate units.
h. Prepares estimates and allotments of funds for religious
activities not specifically charged to other agencies of the
command.
Naturally the duties of a chaplain can never be fully
reduced to writing. How can official regulations de-
fine the inspiration which flows forth from daily ex-
emplary living? Or how can one adequately describe
the ministry of giving spiritual aid and comfort to
individuals on the battle line or in the hospital? No
" Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. II, pp. 74ff.
manual can ever encompass the intangibles which are
most vital in every chaplain's ministry.
By Executive Order No. 10179 the President of the
United States on 8 November 1950 established the
Korean Service medal to commemorate the service
of members of the Armed Forces of the United States
during operations in the Korean theater; the in-
clusive dates were eventually set as 27 June 1950 to
27 July 1954.7 It was awarded for land service in
Korea, air service over Korea and service within
waters adjacent to Korea, within prescribed bound-
aries, or in such other areas as Commander, Naval
Forces, Far East, should designate as having directly
supported the military effort in Korea.
Engagement stars were eventually authorized for
ten separate periods, ending with the signing of the
armistice agreement at Panmunjom on 27 July 1953.
Each of the following rated a battle star on the
Korean Service ribbon.
K-l North Korean Aggression, 27 June-2 November
1950.
K-2 Communist China Aggression, 3 November 1950-24
January 1951.
K-3 Inchon Landing, 13-17 September 1950.
K-4 First United Nations Counteroffensive, 25 January-
21 April 1951.
K-5 Communist China Spring Offensive, 22 April-8 July
1951.
K-6 United Nations Summer-Fall Offensive, 9 July-27
November 1951.
K-7 Second Korean Winter, 28 November 1951-30
April 1952.
K-8 Korean Defense, Summer-Fall, 1952, 1 May-30
November 1952.
K-9 Third Korean Winter, 1 December 1952-30 April
1953.
K-10 Korea, Summer-Fall 1953, 1 May-27 July 1953.
This scheme of periodization will provide the basic
outline of the following account of Navy chaplains
during the Korean War, with some adjustment. It
will be noted that the official code given above num-
bers the Inchon landing third and awards a battle
7 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual. NAV-
PERS 15,790; revised 1953 and further revised by current
Official Change Memoranda.
star only for the 5 days 13-17 September; this short
period is therefore chronologically comprehended
within the first period, 27 June-2 November 1950.
In order to follow the action of the 1st Marine Divi-
sion more closely, our first chapter will deal mainly
with the Pusan Perimeter operation, followed by a
second chapter on both the Inchon landing and the
Seoul operation, covering the period 13 September-7
October 1950. Chapter 3 will deal mainly with the
Chosin Reservoir campaign, which fell within the K-2
dates; the Marines were in their Masan rest camp
by Christmas 1950.
Beginning with chapter 4 our account will follow
precisely the dating of engagements listed in the code.
Following the chapter dealing with K-10, chapter 11
will be occupied with chaplains in Korea following the
Panmunjom armistice agreement. The 1-year period
27 July 1953-27 July 1954 rates the award of the Ko-
rean Service medal, but does not carry with it any en-
gagement star.
Inevitably the larger share of attention is devoted to
chaplains serving with the 1st Marine Division and the
1st Marine Aircraft Wing. There were others on
board the larger ships in Korean waters, as well as
"circuit riders" serving smaller vessels on rotation
schedules. On occasion casualties were received as the
result of enemy fire from shore, or from mines; the
larger number were sustained by Navy 'and Marine
flyers operating from carriers. In addition to other
duties, chaplains aboard such ships ministered to the
wounded and officiated at the last rites paid the dead.
Still other "padres" were attached to various units
under Commander Naval Forces, Far East, mostly
based in Japan. Those aboard transports carrying
troops to and from combat areas, as well as those on
hospital ships, found many opportunities to minister
to the physical and spiritual welfare of Navy and Ma-
rine Corps personnel.
For all these, as also for those chaplains only indi-
rectly involved in the Korean War, this present volume
of The History of the Chaplains Corps, U.S. Navy may
serve as a memorial to their devotion to the service of
God and man.
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— 4 —
CHAPTER 1
NORTH KOREAN AGGRESSION
27 June-2 November 1950
The forces of the Republic of Korea (frequently
referred to as ROK) proved unable to stem the offen-
sive of the better-trained and better-equipped troops
from the North. General MacArthur drew upon all
available men from the occupation forces located in
Japan and elsewhere.1 Three U.S. Army divisions
(24th, 25th, and 1st Cavalry), then on a peace-time
basis, psychologically and physically unprepared for
actual combat, were grouped as the 8th Army under
Lt. Gen. Walton H. Walker and hurriedly sent to
Korea. Even such reinforcements were unable to
stem the steady southward advance of the North Ko-
rean soldiers who, indoctrinated with a fanatical zeal,
pressed onward confident that complete victory was
within their immediate grasp. By late July four bat-
tered ROK divisions and the three U.S. Army divisions
had been driven back to within some fifty miles of the
vital supply port of Pusan. The rim of defense around
the last remaining free area of the Republic of Korea,
about 120 miles long, was called the Pusan Perimeter.
Into this critical situation General MacArthur was
throwing every possible reinforcement in order to keep
a toe-hold in Korea for future retaliatory action.
The Pusan Perimeter
On 2 August the ground forces of the 1st Marine
Provisional Brigade landed at Pusan.2 With the ex-
ception of a small Marine legation guard at Seoul, it
constituted the 1st Marine land force to fight in the
Korean War. Four chaplains were attached to the
ground units — Orlando Ingvoldstad, Jr., and William
G. Tennant (Protestants) and Otto E. Sporrer and
Bernard L. Hickey (Roman Catholics). Writing
1 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, ch. Ill (esp. pp.
43ff.) and ch. IV (esp. pp. 68ff.)
See also: Cagle and Manson, op. cit., ch. 2. Karig et at,
op. cit., chs. 6-13. A preliminary Army account of the first
6 months of the Korean War is entitled Korea, 1950 (Depart-
ment of the Army: Office of the Chief of Military History,
1952). Ch. II deals with the first frantic efforts to stem the
Red advance.
2 Montross and Canzona, op. cit.,vo\. I, ch. V.
aboard the transport on 2 August, just before the Ma-
rines disembarked at Pusan, Chaplain Sporrer com-
mented on his work in a letter to Chaplain Daniel F.
Meehan, Assistant Director of the Chaplains Division.
We had great numbers every day at Mass and confessions
every night. The morale is wonderful and if ever the
Marines did a job we will do it. I am very proud and
happy to be with them. I will never cease to thank you for
this duty. Please don't separate me from these men until
you absolutely have to, and then let me stay with the
Marines until this war is over.
On 7 August the Marines went into action in defense
of Hill 342, southwest of Masan; the first casualties
were received and Navy chaplains were once again
under fire. At this time the chaplains were assigned
as follows: Chaplain Hickey, 3d Battalion, 5th Ma-
rines; Chaplain Sporrer (artillery), 1st Battalion, 11th
Marines; Chaplain Tennant, "B" Medical Company,
at Masan; and Chaplain Ingvoldstad, Rear Echelon,
at Pusan. Hickey and Sporrer covered the forward
aid stations, Tennant the evacuation center and the
cemetery at Masan; and Ingvoldstad the Army evacu-
ation hospital at Pusan through which all patients
passed on their way to hospitals in Japan. This
engagement in the Chindong-ni-Kosong-Changchon
area lasted 7-13 August.3 Chaplain Ingvoldstad of-
fers many valuable comments on this period based
upon his personal experience.
First Naktong
On 17 August, having been regrouped at Miryang,
well within the Perimeter, the Marines were again
committed to action, assaulting Obong-ni Ridge, in
what became known as the First Battle of the Nak-
tong (River).4 During this day Chaplains Ingvold-
3 Ibid., chs. VI-VIII. For a journalistic, but useful
account of the early Pusan Perimeter battles, see Geer, op.
cit., chs. II and following. Also Korea, 1950 (Department
of the Army), ch. III.
* Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, chs. IX, X.
5 —
I I ' '
/ miMMMHMHa
-
R 2
Reproduced by permission from U.S. Marine Operations in Korea.
— 6 —
Improvisation.
A camp cot is used as the base of the altar by Chaplain Otto Sporrer as he holds mass for the 11th Artillery in a
field behind the battlelines in South Korea.
Memorial Services.
Squadron members bow their heads as Chaplain John H.
Markley conducts a memorial service for fliers who were
shot down by North Korean antiaircraft fire on a night-
fighter mission.
stad and either Sporrer or Hickey were in the forward
aid station, while Tennant was at the regimental
collecting and clearing station. The chaplains were
constantly on the move. As far as possible it was
planned to have a Protestant and a Roman Catholic
chaplain available at forward aid stations all the
time.
On 18 August, with each of the 5th Marines
battalions engaged, the chaplains operated as follows:
Ingvoldstad visited the forward aid station of the
1st Battalion, 5th Marines, then that of the 3d Bat-
talion, then held a Protestant Service at the artillery-
United Nations Cemetery, Masan.
Flags fly at half-mast where fallen marines and fellow com-
rades find their last resting place.
unit, and finally moved on to the 2d Battalion's aid
station for the night. Sporrer celebrated Mass at
the artillery unit and likewise moved from one bat-
talion aid station to each of the others. Tennant
remained all day and night with the regimental col-
lecting and clearing station, while Hickey visited all
the aid stations, though staying mostly with that of
the 3d Battalion.
The Naktong objective was secured on 19 August
and the Marine Brigade ordered into Eighth Army
reserve. Its bivouac area from 21 to 31 August was
a bean patch near Masan, from which the Marines
7 —
Memorial Services.
Chaplain Orlando Ingvoldstad, Jr., is shown holding memorial
services at the Army-Marine Corps Cemetery in South
Korea at Masan on 24 August 1950.
would fight their way around the peninsula and
complete their circuit five months later (following
the withdrawal from Chosin) to the identical bean
patch.5
The chaplains were now able to conduct funeral
and memorial sendees for the men killed in the first
action, that of 7-13 August. Upon the suggestion
of the Brigade commander, Brig. Gen. Edward A.
Craig, an individual picture was taken of each grave
with the appropriate chaplain standing by in bene-
diction. These pictures were sent to Headquarters,
Marine Corps, in Washington, and after casualty
notices had been sent to next of kin, many requests
were received from bereaved families for the pictures.
On 22 August Chaplain Ingvoldstad wrote to
Chaplain Stanton W. Salisbury, Chief of Chaplains:
As I'm writing I'm sitting under a shelter in a bean field;
it's hot, sticky, and dusty. Shooting is going on in the hills
around us, but the activities of our camp are normal, as
we are in reserve right now. Shortly we'll probably be in
it again.
Sporrer is with the Artillery battalion, but also gets up
into our aid stations . . . Hickey, Tennant and I have been
Burial Service.
Chaplain William G. Tennant conducts a graveside service.
Photographs of such services were sent to the next of kin.
working the battalion aid stations, Hickey usually with 3rd
Bn., Tennant and I between 1st and 2nd. Then we also
shift around as the need is. Our battalion aid stations are
as close as 100-150 yards from the fighting and at times under
fire. I can truthfully say none of our wounded have left
the zone of action without being seen by a chaplain.
Second Naktong
The Marines were involved in a third engagement,
3-5 September, in the same Naktong River area, re-
pulsing a desperate Communist attempt to breach the
Pusan Perimeter.6 Beginning at midnight on the
fifth, the Brigade was withdrawn to Pusan, where
staging began for what would be the Inchon am-
phibious landing. In 1 month the air-ground team
had fought 3 difficult battles, suffering 902 cas-
ualties, including 9 missing in action, 163 deaths
and 730 wounded. In addition to the ministry ren-
dered the dead and wounded, the chaplains had faith-
fully maintained Divine Services. On Sunday, 27
August, for instance, the four chaplains conducted
eight services. But, as Ingvoldstad wrote, "We've
been holding services regardless of days, whenever
s Ibid., pp. 207f.
'Ibid., chs. XI, XII.
we stop long enough. Had around 300 this morn-
ing at 0700."
Chaplain Otto E. Sporrer was awarded the Army
Bronze Star with Combat "V" for heroism in the Pu-
san Perimeter campaign. The citation reads as
follows :
As a member of the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Pro-
visional Marine Brigade for heroic achievement on 7 August
1950 at Chindongni, Korea. On 7 August 1950 Lieutenant
Commander Sporrer was in the vicinity of an artillery bat-
tery position which was undergoing heavy enemy counter-
battery fire. The enemy scored a direct hit on a gun posi-
tion causing many casualties. Without regard for his own
personal safety, Lieutenant Commander Sporrer voluntarily
exposed himself to the heavy fire in order to assist the
wounded. Heedless of the heavy fire, he administered effec-
tive first aid and assisted in evacuating the wounded to a
place of safety. The heroism displayed by Lieutenant Com-
mander Sporrer on this occasion reflects great credit on him-
self and the naval service.
Each of the other Navy chaplains who took part
in the defense of the Pusan Perimeter received the
Bronze Star for acts of heroism and valor in later
campaigns. Chaplain Sporrer was also awarded the
Army Silver Star for another act of heroism which
took place on 18 August in the battle for Obong-ni
Ridge. This second citation reads in part:
On this date Lieutenant Commander Sporrer in his ca-
pacity as Catholic Chaplain visited the forward aid station
of the Fifth Marines, then in attack on enemy positions ol
the ridges west of the Naktong. Learning that a number
of wounded were on the ridges awaiting evacuation, Lieu-
tenant Commander Sporrer organized a litter-bearing team
of Korean civilians and showing a high degree of courage
and skill led them through heavy small arms, automatic
weapons and mortar fire. By his leadership and example
Lieutenant Commander Sporrer encouraged the litter-bear-
ing team to continue even after they had been pinned down
by enemy fire. He then succeeded in evacuating a number
of seriously wounded to the Aid Station.
MAG 33
The Brigade's air support, Marine Aircraft Group
33, had arrived in Kobe, Japan, on 31 July. Since
Korean land-based operations were impossible, the
planes were flown to nearby Itami for maintenance
and testing and returned to the carriers SICILY and
BADOENG STRAIT, from which the two fighter
squadrons operated during the initial months of the
war.7 The night-fighter squadron was based in
Japan. The helicopters included in Marine Aircraft
Group 33 were the first such to be formed into a
unit for combat service overseas.8 They, together
7 Ibid., pp. 89f.
8 Ibid., p. 50. See also Montross, Cavalry of the Sky (New
York, 1954), an account of the development and early use
by the Marines of combat helicopter squadrons.
with the observer squadron and the Air Support sec-
tion, were ferried to Korea and came under direct
Brigade control.
With Marine Aircraft Group 33 was one chap-
lain, John H. Markley, a Methodist. Subsequently,
when the main body of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
arrived in September, Chaplain John P. Murphy, a
Roman Catholic, came out with them from El Torro,
Calif., Marine Air Station as Wing Chaplain. On
14 September he wrote from Itami, Japan, to the
Chief of Chaplains that he and Markley would cover
Marine Aircraft Group 33, by then partly shore-based
in Korea, leaving the Wing headquarters to be cov-
ered by a Protestant Air Force chaplain and two
American missionary priests. It was planned that
Marine Aircraft Group 12, on arrival, would be
carrier-based and therefore covered by ship's chap-
lains. Adding that an aircraft group numbered about
3,000 personnel, Murphy asked for a Protestant and
a Roman Catholic chaplain for each group, in
addition to himself as Wing Chaplain.
Marine air power was early engaged in the attempt
to block the enemy's advance. Before the Brigade's
ground forces became operative, already on 3 August
eight Corsairs of VMF-214 operating from the
SICILY had made the first Marine air strike in de-
fense of the Pusan Perimeter." On succeeding days,
joined by VMF-323 operating from the BADOENG
STRAIT, the Brigade's air arm continued to pound
enemy concentrations north of Eighth Army's de-
fensive lines. During Marine ground operations the
three squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group 33 pro-
vided outstanding close air support, vindicating the
Marine Corps' doctrine of ground-air teamwork.
Aboard the SICILY as chaplain was Cornelius O.
Sullivan, a Roman Catholic. His counterpart in the
BADOENG STRAIT, Chaplain Oswald B. Salyer,
was a Methodist. Both men ministered to the Navy
crews of their ships and the embarked Marine air per-
sonnel as well. The first Marine pilot killed in Korea
was Capt. V. M. Moses, of Jewish faith. No Jewish
chaplain was available, and it fell to Salyer, a Meth-
odist, to conduct a service for the captain on 13 Au-
gust. Fittingly the chaplain was able to read the first
part of the service in Hebrew.
Writing to the Chaplains Division, Salyer described
a helicopter highline routine which enabled Sullivan
and himself to extend their ministry. At 0800 on
Sunday, Salyer conducted Protestant service aboard the
BADOENG STRAIT, Sullivan celebrating Mass
" Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, pp. 98f. Cagle
and Manson, op. cit., pp. 61-67.
9 —
aboard the SICILY. At 0900 the chaplains would be
exchanged by the BADOENG STRAIT's helicopter,
so that at 0915 there would be Mass in that ship and
Protestant service in the SICILY. Afterward each
chaplain transferred by highline to one of the ships
of the destroyer screen for a third service, returning
to his home ship by highline again. Thus both Prot-
estant and Roman Catholic worship was held in each
of the two carriers every Sunday, and in each de-
stroyer once a month.
Seventh Fleet
The two senior naval commands in the Far East
were 7th Fleet and Commander Naval Forces, Far
East. Seventh Fleet, commanded by Vice Adm.
Arthur D. Strubble, though dispersed in the Philippines
and at Hong Kong, was within fast cruising range of
Korea. Its main force, Carrier Division 3, consisting
of the VALLEY FORGE and embarked Air Group
Five, the cruiser ROCHESTER, and eight destroyers,
under Rear Adm. J. M. Hoskins, was fortunately in a
state of readiness, even though the ships' peacetime
mission had been largely "showing the flag" around
the Orient.10
Vice Adm. C. Turner Joy, Commander Naval
Forces, Far East, had his headquarters in Tokyo. In
the interval between World War II and the Korean
War the chief mission of ComNavFE had been assist-
ing the recovery of Japan. Besides supervision of the
naval stations at Yokosuka and Sasebo, and helping to
rebuild the Japanese merchant fleet, ComNavFE
utilized a support force (Cruiser Division 5) consisting
of the cruiser JUNEAU, four destroyers, and six mine-
sweepers, under Rear Adm. J. M. Higgins, in clearing
Japanese waters of leftover mines, Chinese pirates, and
Japanese and Korean smugglers.
U.S. naval forces, with 7th Fleet under operational
control of ComNavFE, were made available to Gen-
eral MacArthur, Commander in Chief, Far East, on
26 June. The first surface action occurred on 2 July,
when the JUNEAU destroyed several North Korean
motor torpedo boats encountered north of Kangnung
on the east coast. But the enemy had, of course, next
to no naval power; the missions of United Nations
naval forces were chiefly ship-to-shore bombardment
and the launching of bombing strikes against the air-
fields and rail facilities of the North Korean capital of
Pyongyang and, later, the Wonsan oil refinery.
From midnight of 24 July, when elements of 7th
Fleet weighed anchor for the east coast of Korea, naval
close air support began to be furnished the ground
forces of 8th Army.11 Coordinated through 5th Air
Force, the squadrons of VALLEY FORGE and, after
1 August, PHILIPPINE SEA lent their support to the
beleaguered defenders of the Pusan Perimeter. The
arrival of the cruisers HELENA and TOLEDO in late
July strengthened the blockade effort; and in early
September this would be further strengthened by the
organization of Task Force 95, the United Nations
Blockading and Escort Force, composed of ships of 10
nations.12
The final naval contribution to the Pusan Perimeter
duel was the rescue during the night of 16 August of
the ROK 3d Division, which had ably held fast to
allow inland units to withdraw but was now itself in
danger of isolation and being cut to pieces. Sup-
ported by the HELENA and destroyer escorts, 4
LSTS removed 5,830 military personnel, 1,260 civilian
refugees, and 100 military vehicles from the beach
near Yonghae.13
ComNavFE
As the Navy girded itself for a war it had not been
led to expect, Admiral Joy's command expanded to
furnish the United Nations Command the strongest
possible naval striking power. Japan-based naval
activities expanded to provide service and support
of every sort for the ships and aircraft of 7th
Fleet, the amphibious force, and the elements of Fleet
Marine Force, Pacific, operating in the war theater.
The main center at first was Commander, Fleet
Activities, Yokosuka (Navy #3923). Two chaplains
were aboard, Thomas V. Edwards, Roman Catholic,
and Henry J. Beukema, Reformed. On the Fourth
of July Beukema wrote to Chaplain Salisbury:
We are now in Condition II. We see huge convoys of
tanks and trucks. Ships are being feverishly loaded with
war supplies. Today, normally a holiday, is become a work
day. We anticipate the arrival of approximately one
thousand officers and enlisted men to man the destroyer
escorts recently returned by Russia. . . . All available ships
in the area have sailed for Korea. . . . What the picture
will be within the next thirty days is difficult to state. We
hope that once the North Koreans are pushed behind the
38th Parallel normalcy will ensue. . . .
On 1 1 July Beukema wrote concerning Fleet Ac-
tivities, Sasebo:
The normal complement is seventy enlisted men and five
officers. How many men will be eventually assigned to
Sasebo is not known ; no doubt the base will serve our Korean
task forces. Consideration should be given the placement
of a chaplain at that activity, if only temporarily.
1 Cagle and Manson, op. cit., ch. 2, esp. pp. 30-47.
" Ibid., pp. 47-61.
i: Ibid., pp. 288-298.
13 Ibid., pp. 69f.
10
One interesting pause in the midst of feverish war
activity deserves noting. On 15 July a ceremony was
held in front of the Perry Monument at Kurihama,
Yokosuka, to commemorate the 98th anniversary of
the landing of Commodore Matthew G. Perry in
Japan. Chaplain Edwards gave the opening prayer
and Chaplain Beukema a benediction.
On 22 July Chaplain James E. Reaves reported as
relief for Beukema; both men wrote the Chaplains
Division asking that Beukema be allowed to remain for
at least several months. On 28 July Reaves wrote
"the Chief":
Yesterday I made the ward rounds at the dispensary and
found it impossible to get away under 3 hours. The patient
load is increasing there daily, and the senior medical officer
indicated to me that they expect it to mushroom out of all
proportion to its present size.
As the buildup continued and casualties began
pouring in "in a flood," the chaplains found their
energies taxed to the limit. The Chaplains Division
advised that the chaplains consult their command with
reference to the establishment of additional chaplain
billets as it was the responsibility of the latter to
initiate a request of this nature. Chaplain Beukema
was detached, and Edwards and Reaves carried on.
Chaplains in the Fleet
Large carriers were entitled to two chaplains.
Harold E. Meade had reported aboard the PHILIP-
PINE SEA in July as Roman Catholic Chaplain. The
same month Chaplain Charles W. Nelson, an Epis-
copalian, who had been serving in the ship since
January, was hospitalized and ordered stateside for
treatment. Chaplain John E. Zoller, attached to
Commander Service Force, Pacific, whose regular
duties carried him throughout the Pacific Fleet
visiting auxiliary vessels too small to rate a chaplain,
was temporarily on board from 1 1 July to 7 September.
Ernest R. Barnes reported for duty as the ship's Prot-
estant chaplain on 6 September. And thereby hangs
a tale.
Barnes had been serving as Camp Chaplain, Marine
Barracks, Camp Lejeune, N.C. He had been issued
orders the middle of June to 3d Naval District where,
in September, he expected to begin duty under instruc-
tion at Union Theological Seminary, New York. The
beginning of the Korean War, however, caused the
cancellation of the postgraduate study program and
Barnes was ordered instead to the PHILIPPINE SEA.
Detached from Camp Lejeune on 7 August, before
the arrival of his relief, Chaplain Abbot Peterson,
Barnes spent the next month trying to catch up with
his ship. Finally, on 9 September, he wrote the Chief
of Chaplains from Sasebo, Japan, where he had man-
aged to report aboard.
I shared your concern about getting to the ship as rapidly
as possible. By keeping in touch with the Command people
I was able to avoid the mistakes which several of the local
Air-Traffic Control officers were about to make in routing
me, thus arriving in Sasebo just 2 hours before the ship
dropped anchor. Had I not kept in touch with the high
echelons, I would have missed the ship, inasmuch as the
traffic people were going to route me to Okinawa.
Later on, when Chaplain Barnes was assigned in
May 1951 as Wing Chaplain, 1st Marine Aircraft
Wing, Chaplain Zoller would again be temporarily
aboard the PHILIPPINE SEA, from 15 April to 3
June. Meanwhile he had served temporarily aboard
the cruiser ROCHESTER (7 October-3 November
1950) and the oiler KASKASKIA (3 November-
25 November 1950) while those ships were operating
in Korean waters. From 8 December 1950 to 9
January 1951 Zoller was temporarily attached to the
U.S. Naval Hospital at Yokosuka, Japan. The short-
age of chaplains and the exigencies of sudden war
had made necessary many expedients, not the least
useful of which was the attempt to supply as wide-
spread a ministry as possible by means of such
"circuit-riding" activities.
Of one of his experiences, when assigned for a brief
time to a fleet tug, Zoller wrote as follows:
One Sunday, in extremely heavy seas, it seemed impractical
to try to hold Divine Service. However, this was the crew's
first experience of having a chaplain on board and . . .
they had particularly requested Holy Communion.
It was almost impossible to stand upright unassisted. . . .
To ask the men to come forward for the Sacrament would
be impossible by reason of [limitation of] space and the ship's
movement. Further, the coordination of eye and muscle
involved in serving by intinction seemed unattainable under
the circumstances. Yet I felt that to deny them the Sacra-
ment would be a grave error.
The solution was to prepare strips of bread approximately
one-half inch square and 2 inches long and to fill the chalice
one-fourth full. At the appropriate time [after the elements
were consecrated], the men were instructed to take a strip
of bread as I passed among them, if they desired to receive
Holy Communion. Following this, I passed among them
again with the chalice and each man dipped one end of his
bread into the cup. . . .
He concluded: "It was a bit awkward, and surely un-
orthodox, but the service was solemn throughout and
the men spoke later of the blessing they had received."
Aboard the VALLEY FORGE were Chaplains Ab-
ner R. Cook (Methodist) , who had reported in March,
and Paul J. Knapp (Roman Catholic), who reported
in Mav. The cruisers normally carried only one
11 —
Worship at Sea.
A weekday mass is held aboard the HELENA while in Korean waters.
John J. McGowan, Jr.
The officiating chaplain is
chaplain. John J. McGowan, Jr., was relieved in the
HELENA by Chaplain Jerome J. Sullivan in Septem-
ber. Chaplain Benjamin J. Davis served in the
JUNEAU from March 1949 to March 1951, 2 years
being the normal tour of ship-board duty.
Chaplain Barnes sent to Chaplain Salisbury further
information concerning naval activities in the Far East.
He wrote :
At Yokosuka the buildup is like a mushroom; something
like 7,000 there now, and to go higher. Supply is bringing
in staff to serve 10,000. The dispensary is now a hospital,
the wings [formerly] occupied by dependents being rapidly re-
converted to wards. By the end of September they expect
to have a 2,000-bed capacity. There were 431 casualties
there the day I arrived.
He continued :
At Sasebo the harbor is full of ships. It looks like Pearl
[during] the last war. Chaplain McGann called a meeting
on his ship the 7th. There were nine of us in attendance:
McGann, Cook, Vaughan, Knapp, Wolf, Curry, Zoller,
Meade, and myself.
Chaplain Francis L. McGann, then Assistant Fleet
Chaplain on the staff of Commander Service Force,
Pacific Fleet, was in the Far East area on temporary
duty with Commander Service Division 3 1 . Matthew
A. Curry was aboard the cruiser WORCESTER, being
detached shortly thereafter. Robert A. Vaughan and
August J. Wolf were both in destroyer tenders, the
DIXIE and the PIEDMONT respectively.
Barnes concluded his letter to Chaplain Salisbury:
"Shortly the ship will put to sea again on further op-
erations. I will keep in touch with you and Chaplain
[Edward B.] Harp [Fleet Chaplain, Commander Serv-
ice Force, Pacific Fleet] as opportunity to get mail off is
afforded." The fleet too was getting prepared for the
next move: Inchon.
Chaplain SOP
After each combat engagement Marine line officers
write a Battle Report, which is afterwards closely
studied in order to improve the Corps' fighting effi-
ciency. Such reports were of course mandatory for
the line but were not regularly asked of staff
components. Although they had accompanied Ma-
rines in many engagements, chaplains had apparently
never made an official Battle Report. At the conclu-
sion of the Marines' involvement in the Pusan Per-
imeter campaign, and while aboard ship en route to
the Inchon landing, Chaplain Ingvoldstad compiled
a summary of the work of the Brigade chaplains from
their departure on 14 July from San Diego through
operations down to 12 September 1950. (See appen-
dix B( 1 ) of this present volume.) The value of chap-
lains thus incorporating their experiences and activi-
ties into official records is revealed by the events which
followed.
As the Battle Reports of the 1st Provisional Marine
Brigade were being forwarded to Marine Corps Head-
12 —
quarters, Chaplain Ingvoldstad's report of the work of
chaplains received special attention. On 24 October
1950 Lt. Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., Commanding
General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, wrote to Chap-
lain Salisbury (Chief of Chaplains), saying in part:
I have recently read the report of Chaplain O. ingvoldstad,
Jr., on the operations of the 1st Marine Brigade in Korea
from 14 July to 12 September, and consider it outstanding.
If this report has not been brought to your attention, I sug-
gest you read it and I am sure you will agree with me that
the advice obtained therein should be passed on to all
chaplains operating with Marines in the field.
It is the first time that I have ever seen anything in
writing relative to what chaplains should do in combat and
I think the notes jotted down by Chaplain Ingvoldstad may
well be reproduced in pamphlet form to be included in
instructions for young chaplains, especially those going to
duty with Marines.
In his letter of acknowledgment of 30 October,
Chaplain Salisbury called Ingvoldstad's report "an
excellent piece of work" and stated that "it is our
plan to have it reproduced for use by chaplains going
into such combat."
On 29 October the Division Chaplain, Robert M.
Schwyhart, sent a letter to all regimental chaplains
attached to the 1st Division requesting each to com-
with the purpose of preparing a Standing Operating
pile facts and information based upon experience,
Procedure (referred to as SOP) for chaplains. The
material gathered was edited by Chaplain Schwyhart
and submitted as a recommendation to the Force
Chaplain, FMF Pac, for approval. The result was
Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, General Order 19, dated
28 March 1951; Subject: "Standing Operating Pro-
cedure for the Chaplain Service of the Fleet Marine
Force, Pacific." This order extended over eight
mimeographed pages and spelled out in detail the
duties expected of a Navy chaplain serving with the
Marines. (See appendix C.) A similar order was
subsequently drawn up for Marine chaplains serving
in the Atlantic, which appeared as Fleet Marine
Force, Atlantic, General Order 41, dated 31 July
1951.
Letters of Condolence
One section of the SOP for chaplains, FMF Pac,
read as follows:
When practicable an individual picture of each grave
with the appropriate chaplain standing by in benediction
should be taken, so that families may secure copies if desired.
This was done as far as possible throughout the
Division Chaplain's Headquarters.
The division chaplain was located in this tent which is at the command post of the division.
13
Korean War, having been begun with the burials of
those killed in the Pusan Perimeter operations. Under
the outline of duties expected of chaplains in combat
operations were the following:
Duties on Conclusion of Landing and Assault
Phase :
( 1 ) At the close of operations, unit chaplains will prepare
letters of condolence to next of kin of those lost in action.
These letters will be properly channeled through the com-
mand. The office of the Division Chaplain can assist a unit
chaplain by looking up the following information relative
to each person deceased :
(a) Name, rank, serial number.
(6) Date of death, place of burial, and religion.
(c) Name and address of next of kin.
(d) Name of officiating chaplain at burial.
(2) At the close of an operation, the Division Chaplain,
with the approval of the Commanding General, should ar-
range for a memorial service to be held at the Division ceme-
tery or in other cemeteries where Division dead are buried.
Such lette's of condolence were faithfully written by
individual chaplains and, judging from the responses
received from bereaved families, were deeply ap-
preciated. Memorial services were held periodically
throughout the Korean War, both on division level
and also in smaller units.
Mission Completed
On 13 September the 1st Provisional Marine
Brigade was deactivated and reabsorbed into the 1st
Marine Division, its components resuming their old
unit designations and embarking from Pusan to join
the main body of the Division being embarked from
Kobe. For its "outstanding and heroic performance
of duty on the field of battle during the period 2
August 1950 to 6 September 1950" the Brigade was
awarded a Presidential Unit Citation by Syngman
Rhee, President of the Republic of Korea. It was
also given a Presidential Unit Citation by the Presi-
dent of the United States "for extraordinary heroism
in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea
from 7 August to 7 September 1950."
On the eve of the Inchon assault, the following 28
Navy chaplains were attached to the Division :
Division Chaplain — Robert M. Schwyhart.
Headquarters Battalion — Garson Goodman and William
N. Lyons.
Division Troops — Howard H. Groover, Ernest A. Ham,
William M. Hearn, Aarne J. Juntunen, Patrick A. Killeen,
Preston D. Parsons, Robert L. Patton, Charles S. Pigott,
Joseph G. Power, William A. Rennie, Eugene I. Van Ant-
werp, and Lawrence R. Phillips.
Regimental Units:
1st Marines— Glyn Jones (Regimental Chaplain), Kevin
J. Keaney, and James W. Lewis.
5th Marines — Orlando Ingvoldstad, Jr. (Regimental
Chaplain), Bernard L. Hickey, and William G. Tennant.
7 th Marines — John Craven (Regimental Chaplain),
Cornelius J. Griffin, and Kester M. Hearn.
11th Marines — Otto E. Sporrer (Regimental Chap-
lain), Robert A. Bonner, Barker C. Howland, and God-
frey J. Reilly.
Goodman was of the Jewish faith. Griffin, Hickey,
Keaney, Killeen, Reilly, Sporrer, and Van Antwerp
were Roman Catholics. The others were Protestants.
Chaplain Ernest A. Ham was left with the Administra-
tive Rear Echelon at Camp Garver, near Kobe, Japan,
primarily for the purpose of giving assistance to Ma-
rine casualties in the hospitals at Kobe, Osaka, and
Kyoto. Among those left behind were also some 500
17-year-old Marines, who by order of the Secretary
of the Navy had been removed from the troop list
just before the Division embarked for the Inchon am-
phibious landing.14
11 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. II, p. 76.
14 —
CHAPTER 2
THE INCHON-SEOUL OPERATION
13 September-7 October 1950
Military strategy called for a surprise landing in the
rear of the North Korean Army. Inchon, on the west
coast, about 20 miles from Seoul, was selected for
several reasons. It was the port of the capital city.
Its capture would permit the United Nations forces to
cut the enemy's supply and communications lines.
Moreover, because of the unusual tides in the area,
it seemed to General MacArthur that the enemy
would be expecting his counterattack elsewhere. The
X Corps, commanded by Maj. General Edward
M. Almond, was given the task of taking Inchon and
advancing via Kimpo airfield to the Han River and
the capital. X Corps included, besides the 1st Marine
Division and the attached 1st Marine Aircraft Wing,
the 7th Infantry Division, an understrength occupa-
tion-duty division whose complement would be filled
out with South Korean soldiers.
The operation had been planned even before the
1st Marine Division was fully organized.1 Because of
the wide range of high and low tides, the assault would
have to made at just the right time, else the vessels
would be stranded on mud-flats. Unless Inchon
could be taken by the middle of September, the opera-
tion would have to be postponed, and probably
abandoned. Time was running out. The Division
was embarked from Kobe on 1 1 September, minus
the 7th Marines, not yet fully reorganized, and joined
at a predetermined rendezvous point by its newly
reintegrated elements which had constituted the 1st
Provisional Marine Brigade.
Victory Over Time and Tide
The first objective was the island of Wolmi-Do. just
offshore in Inchon harbor. Aerial bombardment be-
gan on 10 September as Marine fliers started "soft-
ening up" Wolmi-Do; they were joined by planes from
Task Force 77 operating from the VALLEY FORGE,
the PHILIPPINE SEA, and the BOXER.2 This last
ship had arrived from the States only within the last
few days, having fought Typhoon Kezia in its last
laps before reaching Sasebo. Preliminary bombard-
ment was begun on 13 September by the cruisers TO-
LEDO and ROCHESTER, in company with the
British cruisers KENYA and JAMAICA.
Early on Friday morning, 15 September, the 3d
Battalion, 5th Marines landed on Wolmi-Do and an
hour before sunset the remaining Marine units as-
saulted Inchon itself on the evening tide.3 Within
24 hours the seaport of some 250,000 inhabitants was
taken. The Marines suffered only moderate casual-
ties as the attack took the enemy by surprise and the
prelanding bombardment had wiped out most of his
prepared defense positions.
At the same time naval forces headed by the battle-
ship MISSOURI, rushed to Korea from Norfolk, Va.,
shelled Communist troop concentrations; and the 8th
Army, under Lt. Gen. W. H. Walker, launched a sud-
den movement designed to break out from the Pusan
Perimeter.4 By 26 September elements of 8th Army-
had effected a linkup with the 7th Army Division
working its way southeastward from Inchon. By the
end of the month organized NKPA resistance in the
south had begun to collapse.
Liberation of Seoul
Within 48 hours after the initial landing the 5th Ma-
rines took the important Kimpo airfield, and other
1 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. II, Chs. Ill— IV.
See also Cagle and Manson, op. cit., ch. 3. Karig et al., op.
cit., Chs. 14-21.
2 Montross and Canzona. op. cit., vol. II, pp. 85-87. Also
Cagle and Manson, op. cit., pp. 91-94.
3 Ibid., pp. 94ff. Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. II,
chs. V— VII, beginning on p. 87.
'Korea, 1950 (Department of the Army) sketches the
movements of other UN forces in the South while the Ma-
rines were occupied in the Inchon-Seoul area. See pp. 147-
150.
Reproduced by permission from U.S. Marine Operations in Korea.
: chart shows the rendezvous pattern for the elements making up the Inchon attack force. Wide dispersal of
mnre' Iht imV°rt*nceA°J. T^u a"-d ^ absol"t/ necessity of making the assault on the high tide made planning
™iVn A T Y d'ffiCUlt- Tuf lmminence of Typhoon Kezia in the East China Sea and Tsushima Strai?
comphcated planning immeasurably more, since it was expected to arrive just in the path of the outloaded attack
force. The main body of the 1st Marine Division embarked from Kobe, the former 1st Provisional Marine Brigade
from Pusan. (See Montross and Canzona, U.S. Marine Operations in Korea Vol II pp 79ff )
— 16 —
On.S
Reproduced by permission from the Marine Corps Gazette.
17
^
yjT^i f
V
T",
On to Inchon.
Marines and sailors embarked and on the way to Inchon
for the invasion take time out to attend divine services led
by Chaplain Hickey. 13 September 1950.
Inchon Harbor.
This photograph was taken a few days after the invasion. 19
September 1950. The area pictured is west of Wolmi-Do
Island.
units pressed forward towards the Han River.5 Seoul,
the capital, built around the base of tree-covered
South Mountain, was enveloped from two directions
by Army, Marine, and ROK Marine troops of X
Corps. Supported by artillery and close air support,
the operation at first met light resistance. It was even
thought possible the city might be spared heavy de-
struction. But the North Koreans were determined,
and it was only after intensive street fighting during
25-28 September, advancing yard by yard, even foot
by foot, that the city was at last secured.
According to Marine Corps records, total casualties
in the Inchon-Seoul operation included 415 killed in
action or dead from wounds, 6 missing, and 2,029
wounded.'1 About two-thirds of these were sustained
in the hill battles on the outskirts of Seoul and in the
bitter house-to-house and barricade-to-barricade
street fighting which took place within the capital
city. According to official records, the enemy's esti-
mated casualties numbered 13,666 plus 6,492 prisoners.
Throughout the Korean War, the number of casual-
ties inflicted on North Korean and Chinese Commu-
nist forces would be many times greater than that
sustained by the United Nations forces.
The Inchon amphibious assault was rated a sep-
arate engagement, and service during the period 13-17
September rated an individual battle star on the Ko-
rean Service ribbon. For its action in the Inchon-
Seoul operation, the 1st Marine Division (reinforced)
was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation covering
5 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. II, chs. VIII and
following. XIII details the fight for Seoul and the final
chapter (XIV), the remaining Marine efforts around Seoul
before being relieved by Army units on 7 October.
" Ibid., appendix J, p. 333.
the dates 15 September-1 1 October 1950, and a Ko-
rean Presidential Unit Citation for the period 15-27
September 1950.
On 8 October a Memorial Service was conducted
at the cemetery established by the 1st Marine Di-
vision at Inchon, in honor of the United Nations per-
sonnel who lay buried there. Some 3,000 Marines
from the Division and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
were present. Chaplains representing the three ma-
jor faiths — Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish —
took part, with Maj. Gen. Edward M. Almond, USA.
as the main speaker.
Chaplain Casualties
Three chaplains — Ingvoldstad, Tennant, and Bon-
ner— were wounded in the Inchon-Seoul operation.
Chaplain Ingvoldstad was slightly wounded in his
right arm by shrapnel from an exploding missile
which killed two men and wounded eight others. He
received treatment at the 5th Marines Aid Station
and was able to maintain an uninterrupted duty-
status.
Chaplain William G. Tennant, also in the 5th Ma-
rines, was wounded by mortar fire on 22 September
while in the act of aiding wounded personnel. Writ-
ing on 27 September from a Naval hospital base in
Japan to Chief of Chaplains, S. W. Salisbury, Chap-
lain James E. Reaves gave the following account of
the incident :
You may have gotten word that Chaplain Tennant has been
wounded. Last Friday afternoon he tangled with a 120-mm.
mortar shell. He will have to have an operation on his left
arm for the removal of fragments and possibly some repair
work, but so far we have no word as to how long a con-
valescence period he will have. He lost a great deal of blood
from a facial wound but is doing very nicely. His men tell
me that he did a magnificent job there on the front at Seoul.
A sergeant by the name of O'Sullivan told me that Tennant
was up with a man who had been badly hit when he (the
sergeant) began yelling for him to get down and crawl back
to where he was dug in. He said Tennant ignored him and
continued to help the man who was down. About that time
one shell fell and got Tennant and the next got the ser-
geant. At that time his outfit had 29 wounded and 7 killed
outright. Every officer and man I've talked with has praised
Tennant to the skies.
Chaplain Tennant was air-evacuated the following
day to Fukuoka, Japan. His wounds required treat-
ment in a hospital for about a month. Chaplain Law-
rence R. Phillips was transferred on 23 September
from the 1st Combat Service Group to the 5th Ma-
rines as Tennant's relief.
For heroic achievement during operations against
the enemy in the fight for the Pusan Perimeter and
in the Inchon Landing, Chaplain Tennant was
awarded the Bronze Star. His citation reads in part:
Without regard for his own personal safety, he repeatedly
exposed himself to the enemy fire to administer solace and
spiritual guidance to the wounded and dying. Courageously
and with no regard for personal fatigue, he constantly moved
among the assault units to assist in the evacuation and care of
wounded Marines. Although warned to take cover, he re-
mained with the assault unit helping to care for and give
spiritual ministration to the wounded Marines until he was
wounded by enemy mortar fragments and evacuated. His
actions throughout this period were an inspiration to all
members of the regiment.
The third chaplain to be wounded in the Inchon-
Seoul campaign was Robert L. Bonner. On 27 Sep-
tember Bonner was riding in a jeep near Seoul when
it ran over a land mine. The resulting explosion in-
flicted second and third degree burns on his face and
lacerations on his wrists, and impaired his hearing.
Within 3 hours he was received at the Division Hos-
pital and the same day air-evacuated to Fukuoka.
Chaplain Bonner later received the Silver Star medal
"for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action
against the enemy while serving as a chaplain with a
Marine artillery regiment in Korea from 15 September
to 27 September 1950." The following quotation
from the citation gives additional information about
the incident :
Lieutenant Bonner, though not required to do so. regularly
visited elements of his regiment attached to front line units,
courageously exposing himself to enemy small arms and mor-
tar fire in order to encourage and minister to the men. While
returning to his regiment after one visit he was seriously
wounded when the vehicle in which he was riding struck a
land mine. With the vehicle in flames, he risked his life to
remove three wounded comrades. Despite his own severe
burns and painful wounds he then walked more than half
a mile to a battalion aid station to obtain medical assistance
for his comrades. Only then would he consent to treatment
for his own wounds. His courageous conduct and disregard
for personal safety combined with his constant concern for the
officers and men in his spiritual keeping were an inspiration
to all who served with him.
Combat Ministry
Some 3 weeks following the landing at Inchon on
15 September were spent in combat. The chaplains
found it necessary to adapt their ministry to the exist-
ing circumstances.7 For the most part, large gather-
ings of men for religious services could not be held.
Chaplain Ingvoldstad mentioned, in his answer to the
Chaplains Division questionnaire, holding as many as
seven religious services in one day for small and sep-
7 See Chaplain O. Ingvoldstad's report of chaplain activities
in one regiment, from 30 August to 7 October 1950; app.
B ( 2 ) of this present volume.
r>::r.:::',2 0— 60-
— 19
Memorial Services, Inchon.
First Marine Division holds memorial services for its fallen
heroes at Inchon. Conducting services are chaplains rep-
resenting the various faiths. These shown are (from left
to right) Chaplains John Craven, Orlando Ingvoldstad,
Jr., Glyn Jones, Garson Goodman, Bernard L. Hickey,
and the Division Chaplain, R. M. Schwyhart.
fc -'5'
Chaplain Otto Sporrer offers the requiem prayers.
Chaplain Glyn Jones reads the service.
Chaplain Robert M. Schwyhart, USN gives the closing prayer.
— 20 —
arated units prior to the Han River crossing. Once
he held a service below an embankment while enemy
bullets whistled through the trees overhead.
Chaplain John H. Craven, a Southern Baptist,
baptized three men by immersion in evaporator tanks
of the troop transport the day before they landed at
Inchon on 21 September. Following debarkation five
more men were baptized in collapsible rubber water
tanks used by the Combat Engineers in Inchon.
Craven was Regimental Chaplain of the 7th Marines,
newly organized in Japan and composed of officers
and men from the former 6th Marines, 2d Marine
Division, including its 3d Battalion, which had been
in the Mediterranean at the outbreak of the war, and
others drawn from posts and stations in the United
States, plus nearly 2,000 recalled Reserves deemed
combat-ready.8
Chaplain Barker C. Howland in his questionnaire
contributed the following story :
Baptizing a man could be a problem if done strictly accord-
ing to the tenets of my denomination. One baptism, in par-
ticular, I remember which was held right outside of Inchon
after the successful conquest of Seoul. The man had gone to
a Church of Christ church in Texas. The medical officer
attached to our regiment recommended that I not baptize
the man down by the shore because he felt the water was
polluted. Several of the men in the regiment came through
in the pinch and constructed for me a tank made out of gal-
vanized iron which they had scrounged. Water was heated
for it was in October and there in that tank I baptized this
Marine.
(The word "scrounge" had become a common word
in the vocabulary of U.S. troops during World War
II. No onus was attached to "scrounging." It
meant simply getting by other than official means
something that was needed.)
Chaplain Joseph G. Power wrote in his question-
naire reply: "On the morning of 15 September 1950,
while the preliminary bombardment of the Inchon
coastal defenses was in progress, I served Communion
to almost an entire Marine infantry company, and
baptized 16 men." Chaplain Craven reported that
it was his custom to offer Communion at almost every
service. Many of the Protestant chaplains carried
individual communion sets so that the Sacrament
could be administered to small groups or even to
but one man. The Chaplains Division would later
develop a combat communion kit, but this was not
made generally available to the chaplains in Korea
until after the cease-fire order of July 1953.
On 1 October 1950 all Protestant chaplains con-
nected with the 1st Marine Division observed World
Wide Communion Sunday. Among the services held
was one at the Division Hospital at Inchon where
8 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. II, p. 33.
Chaplain William A. Rennie was assisted by a choir
from a local Korean Methodist Church. At Seoul
Chaplain Robert M. Schwyhart preached in the
Chodong Presbyterian Church at the invitation of
the pastor, the Reverend David Chung. This con-
gregation met amidst the ruins of its former church.
Meetings of chaplain and service personnel with
Korean Christians were an inspiration for all, and
often gave to the Americans convincing evidence of
the results of missionary work.
As in World War II, chaplains ministering to
Marines under combat conditions adapted themselves
to existing circumstances and held Divine Services
under diverse and often adverse circumstances.
Chaplain Craven in his reply to the Chaplains Divi-
sion questionnaire summed up the experience of all
of his fellow chaplains who saw service in Korea
when he wrote:
Conducted Divine Services under all sorts of conditions:
in Korean houses, drug stores, nail factory, city hall, enclosed
courtyards, barns, warehouse, railroad stations, theatre
building, school building of a Benedictine Monastery, creek
beds, rock quarries, shell holes, tents, reverse slopes and open
country. The altar was rigged on ox carts, jeep hoods, am-
munition crates, metal spools for communication wire and
stretchers. I also set up the portable altar set on Korean
porches, tables and desks. Many times, of course, services
were conducted without setting up the portable altar set.
A most unusual setting for Christian worship was
provided on 28 September when both Protestant and
Roman Catholic services were held in front of the
Presidential Palace in the city of Seoul. Chaplain
Bernard L. Hickey celebrated Mass and Chaplain
Lawrence R. Phillips led a Protestant service, both
for the 5th Marines. On the same day, near the
city of Seoul, Chaplain Garson Goodman conducted
a Jewish service. On the following day, 29 Septem-
ber, General MacArthur, President Syngman Rhee,
and other high ranking dignitaries met in a solemn
ceremony within the capitol building in recognition
of the liberation of the city.
Heroic Service
For heroic or meritorious achievement during the
Inchon-Seoul operation, the following eight Navy
chaplains were awarded the Bronze Star medal:
Division Chaplain Robert M. Schwyhart; Regimental
Chaplains Glyn Jones, John H. Craven, and Orlando
Ingvoldstad; and Chaplains William G. Tennant,
Patrick A. Killeen, Godfrey J. Reilly, and John H.
Markley.
Mention has already been made of the citation
21
Services at the Governor's Palace.
Chaplain L. R. Phillips conducts services for Protestants on the steps of the governor's palace scarred and blackened
by shell fire.
Catholic services are conducted by Chaplain Hickey for marines who participated in the capture of Seoul. Services
are held on the palace steps.
awarded Chaplain Tennant. The citation accom- "His advice to the Commanding General in religious
panying the medal given to Chaplain Schwyhart and morale activities of the command was of im-
notes that he had traveled with front line units on measurable assistance to the success of the Division,"
numerous occasions while they were subjected to the citation concludes.
enemy fire and that he had administered solace and The citations for Chaplains Jones (1st Marines)
spiritual comfort to wounded and dying Marines. and Craven (7th Marines) were identical. Both were
22
for the period 23 September to 1 October. The cita-
tions read in part :
Acting as regimental chaplain [he] fearlessly and cou-
rageously exposed himself to the intense enemy small arms,
machine gun and mortar fire to visit and encourage the
members of the front line units during the attack. His com-
plete disregard for his own personal safety and personal
interests shown during his constant moving among the
assault troops and the wounded was an inspiration to all
personnel of the regiment.
Since Chaplain Craven had received a Bronze
Star during World War II, he was awarded a gold
star in lieu of a second Bronze Star.
Chaplain Ingvoldstad (5th Marines) was cited for
"heroic service" performed during the period 15-27
September. "Displaying outstanding professional
ability," the citation states, "marked courage and con-
fidence in the performance of duty. Lieutenant Com-
mander Ingvoldstad rendered distinguished service in
providing for the spiritual comfort and well-being of
all the men."
Chaplain John H. Markley, serving with the 1st
Marine Aircraft Wing, was cited for "meritorious
achievement in connection with the operations against
the enemy . . . during operations in Japan and
Korea from 11 August 1950 to 12 October 1950."
The citation continues :
He met aircraft carrying the wounded and dying no
matter what hour of arrival. He visited all hospitalized mili-
tary personnel regardless of their branch of service. He
ministered to their physical as well as spiritual needs, per-
sonally seeing that the men had what they sought for or
needed. He carried out his duties regardless of personal
fatigue, constantly inspiring all who observed him with the
strength of his faith in God, his humility, and his love for
all to whom he ministered.
Chaplain Patrick A. Killeen was awarded the Bronze
Star for service from 15-21 September 1950. His
citation reads in part :
A most capable and inspiring religious guide, his wise and
friendly counsel was constantly sought by men of all faiths
within the battalion. His untiring efforts and unswerving
devotion to duty were an inspiration to all who observed
him, and aided materially in the maintenance of high mo-
rale within the battalion.
The citation accompanying the Bronze Star awarded
Chaplain Godfrey J. Reilly follows in part :
Serving with the forward medical company, where casual-
ties were in greatest number, he frequently moved to battalion
aid stations when he considered his services to be needed.
Displaying at all times utter disregard for his personal safety
and comfort, he labored long, arduous hours under extremely
adverse weather conditions, and often under enemy fire. His
untiring efforts contributed materially to the maintenance of
high morale in the Division, and his wise counsel and guid-
ance were constantly sought by men of all faiths.
In addition to the Silver Star awarded Chaplain
Bonner and the eight Bronze Star medals thus far
mentioned, two other awards were given Navy chap-
lains for outstanding performance of duty. Chaplain
Kevin J. Keaney received the Letter of Commendation
award citing his service during the period 15 Septem-
ber to 2 October 1950.
Chaplain Bernard L. Hickey, who with Ingvoldstad,
Tennant, and Sporrer had accompanied Marine
ground units from the early days of the Korean War,
received the Bronze Star for meritorious service from
15 September to 2 November, the terminal date of
what the Defense Department later marked out as the
First Korean Campaign. The services cited in
Hickey's award now begin to run like a refrain through
the commendations that would be awarded chaplains
for devotion to duty during periods of intense fighting.
No lesson is clearer from the experience of the Korean
War than that it came to be expected that it could be
said of each what was here said of a particular chap-
lain, that he "continuously moved among the assault
units of his regiment and conducted services, adminis-
tered spiritual comfort to the sick and wounded, and
assisted in the treatment and evacuation of casualties."
Thus exceptional performance of duty sets the pace
and in time becomes the norm by which all service is
measured.
Chaplains Afloat
Elements of Joint Task Force Seven, the principal
striking arm of United States naval power in the Far
East, commanded by Vice Adm. Arthur D. Struble,
had been on station in Korean waters since late June.
Serving as chaplain in the flagship, the ROCHES-
TER, was Fenelon D. Hewitt, Jr., Southern Baptist,
aboard since April 1949. In September he was re-
lieved by Edwin F. Carr, a Roman Catholic. Having
returned to active duty on 18 August, Carr remained
in the ROCHESTER until July 1952. Protestant
ministrations were made available whenever possible ;
it has been noted that Chaplain J. E. Zoller was
temporarily aboard for the month of October.
In the TOLEDO since 31 August was Chaplain
Lawrence C. M. Vosseler, a Lutheran, whose
tour of duty continued until July 1952. Aboard the
WORCESTER since September was Chaplain
Charles L. Dickey (Presbyterian), a Reserve, who
remained in that ship until released to inactive
duty in January 1952. Chaplain David J. Kosky,
— 23
Burial at Sea.
Chaplain L. C. M. Vosseler conducts burial at sea for Lt. ( jg. ) David H. Swenson, of TOLEDO, off Korea.
K. SWENSON, named for the deceased's uncle, lies in the background.
a Roman Catholic, served in the MANCHESTER
from September 1950 to August 1952.
The carrier BOXER had two chaplains assigned.
Joseph P. Cusack, Roman Catholic, had been aboard
since July and remained until October 1951. George
A. Hoglan, Presbyterian, another of the many Re-
serves who voluntarily returned to active duty, re-
ported in September 1950, finishing his tour in
October 1952. It will be noticed that the average
shipboard tour was about 2 years.
One of the busiest ships in the area was the
MOUNT McKINLEY, an AGC, or amphibious
force flagship, headquarters of Rear Adm. James H.
Doyle's Amphibious Group One, Pacific Fleet. Early
in 1950 General Mac Arthur had asked for Navy and
Marine units to train occupation forces in Japan in
amphibious techniques. They had hardly arrived
and begun work when the outbreak of hostilities
turned these amphibious specialists from training to
operational activities.'1 On July PhibGru One put
the 1st Cavalry Division ashore at Pohang-dong.
For Inchon, naturally, Admiral Doyle's amphibious
force was a mainstay; most of the planning was done
on board the McKINLEY, and when it was time
to mount the operation MacArthur chose to proceed
from Sasebo to Inchon in that ship.1" The chaplain
at the time was Edward E. Helmich, a Moravian,
who was assigned additional duty as Doyle's Staff
Chaplain.
The largest number of troop and attack transports
were not assigned chaplains, owing to the shortage.
As always the Marine Division Chaplain tried to
place his chaplains in those transports which had
none of their own or otherwise arrange for the widest
distribution of chaplain personnel en route to the
invasion. At least the following transports at Inchon
carried one chaplain each.
BAYFIELD (APA)
Edgar A. Day. .
BAP (A)
GEN. J. C. BRECKENRIDGE
Leonard B.
EVAN i
(AP).
Dohrmann
REF
GEN. H. W. BUTNER (AP).
Edward R.
Martincau
RC
HENRICO (APA)
Carroll M.
PRESBY
Mrrshon
(U)
PRESIDENT JACKSON
Harry A.
BAP (A)
(AP).
Porter
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Henry F. Max-
CONG
(APA).
well
'Ibid., pp. 4ff.; 13ff.
1 Ibid., p. 84.
— 24 —
Chaplain Maxwell described in his questionnaire
reply something of the duty of the THOMAS JEF-
FERSON during these early months of the war. Dur-
ing July and August they transported troops from the
United States to the Far East, including Marines of
the 1st Division from San Diego to Japan. In Sep-
tember they participated in the Inchon invasion, and
brought out casualties on their return to Japan. In
early November they helped put the 7th Infantry Di-
vision ashore at Iwon, as part of the X Corps drive
to the Manchurian border. In December the ship
returned to San Francisco. Writing of his work, Max-
well said :
As ship's chaplain and librarian, as the JEFFERSON
transported wounded back to Yokosuka, Japan, I made the
rounds with library' books and with religious brochures, see-
ing each patient two or three times daily to trade books, and
visit or counsel as occasion demanded. The ship's welfare
fund served as a source of money for purchase of comfort
items, which the chaplain and his assistants distributed daily
to the wounded.
The chaplain contributed a "Thought for the Day" in the
ship's daily newspaper, which was mimeographed and dis-
tributed by his office staff. I endeavored to make the brief
column timely and worthwhile: spiritual encouragement to
men who knew that shortly some of their number would be
dead and men also who had come through the worst and
lived.
Ships of Mercy
The first hospital ship to arrive in Korean waters,
the CONSOLATION, docked on 12 August 1950,
while the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade was assisting
8th Army efforts to stem the Red advance at the
Pusan Perimeter. Since July 1949 Chaplain Charles
F. Holland (Lutheran) had been serving aboard. He
would be joined in November 1950 by Chaplain Vic-
tor J. W. Lustig (Roman Catholic). On 16 Sep-
tember, the second day of the Inchon landing, CON-
Worship on Hospital Ship.
Chaplain Leroy C. Austin conducts Sunday services on board the CONSOLATION in Pusan.
25 —
SOLATION arrived in Inchon harbor and began
receiving casualties aboard.
On the same day a second of these "ships of
mercy," the REPOSE, reported for duty in Korea.
These great white ships, a gleaming Red Cross painted
on their sides, furnished with the best equipment and
staffed by doctors, nurses, and hospital corpsmen,
maintained constant vigilance to provide the best
possible surgical and medical care for the United
Nations personnel. Chaplains in the REPOSE were
Henry P. White (Methodist) and Charles F.
Karnasiewicz (Roman Catholic).
"Mighty Mo"
The MISSOURI was the only battleship in opera-
tion at the outbreak of the Korean War. Its chap-
lains were Emil F. Redman (Protestant) and Eugene
I. Van Antwerp (Roman Catholic) . Both men were
relieved before the ship was transferred from Norfolk
to the Far East, Van Antwerp being ordered to the
1st Marine Division: and when she arrived in Korean
waters, on 14 September, her chaplains were William
H. Hoffman (Roman Catholic) and Charles L.
Arnold (Southern Baptist).
On the deck of the MISSOURI, as everyone knows,
the formal surrender of Japan took place on 2 Sep-
tember 1945. It was after the Japanese representa-
tives had signed the surrender documents that General
MacArthur had concluded, "Let us pray that peace
be now restored to the world, and that God will
preserve it always." In a time w^hen popular senti-
ment was inclined to the view that "it doesn't matter
what you believe as long as you live right," Mac-
Arthur had affirmed on this same occasion his opinion
that the problem of war and peace is "basically
theological." u
Chaplain Hoffman continued the custom of daily
prayers over the ship's speaker which was reported
in volume II of this Chaplain Corps History. Just
at dusk the bo'sun's pipe would sound, followed by
the announcement, "Stand by for evening prayers."
11 From a clipping from the Los Angeles Roman Catholic
newspaper The Tidings; clipping undated, but contents
indicates a date in 1951.
Worship on MISSOURI.
Worship is conducted under the 16-inch guns of the MISSOURI by Chaplain Arnold.
26 —
The two chaplains took turns in leading the short
devotion. It would be foolish, naturally, to suppose
that all the ship's personnel, or even the majority of
them, were actively religious: but it should not be
underestimated that on this ship as on many others
prayer had become an expected part of the dailv
routine.
Victory in the Grasp
In early October, Task Force 77 departed the
Yellow Sea for Sasebo. The Marines were at Inchon,
outloading. Eighth Army now had effective control
of the western parts of South Korea, and the ROK I
Corps was poised at the eastern end of the 38th
Parallel, the enemy in rout all along the front.
Victory seemed within the grasp.
The success of the September. operation, one of the
most unusual and hazardous ever undertaken, must
be attributed to the coordinated efforts of ground.
air, and sea forces.1- After the humiliating setback
of the first weeks of the Korean War, it was with
both pride and immeasurable relief that after Inchon-
Seoul the United Nations Command could assure the
world :
A successful frontal attack and envelopment has com-
pletely changed the tide of battle in South Korea. The
backbone of the North Korean army has been broken and
their scattered forces are being liquidated or driven north
with material losses in equipment and men captured."
The Communist challenge to the free world had been
countered. It was now clear that only the interven-
tion of Communist China or Soviet Russia could save
the North Korean People's Republic from complete
defeat.
" For estimates of the Inchon-Seoul operation see Montross
and Canzona, op. cit., vol. II. pp. 292-298; Cagle and
Manson, op. cit., pp. 101-106.
" Montross and Canzona. op. cit., vol. II, p. 298.
27-
Reproduced by permission from U.S. Marine Operations in Korea.
— 28 —
CHAPTER 3
COMMUNIST CHINESE AGGRESSION
3 November 1950-24 January 1951
Within 3 months after the North Korean Army in-
vaded South Korea, it had been decisively defeated.
The tide which had carried the victorious Communists
over all of South Korea except the small area behind
the Pusan Perimeter had been turned. By the com-
pletion of the Inchon-Seoul operation, that part of the
North Korean Army not killed or Captured was broken
into many small units, each trying to get back across
the 38th Parallel the best way possible, or else remain-
ing in hiding in the South Korean hills.
General MacArthur called upon the North Korean
leaders to surrender; his demand was ignored. The
United Nations Command then decided to send its
forces across the 38th Parallel, allowing for the possi-
bility but not expecting that this in turn would call the
Chinese Communists into the struggle.1 On 7 October
1950 the Marines in the vicinity of Seoul were relieved
and ordered to Inchon, where they embarked on 12
October for Wonsan on the east coast. There they
disembarked on 25 October, after delays necessitated
by hazardous and prolonged minesweeping opera-
tions.
During the time at sea, the chaplains of the 1st
Division were busy writing letters of condolence to the
next-of-kin of deceased Marine personnel. Most of
the chaplains had completed this duty by the time the
transports reached Wonsan. The processing of these
1 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. Ill, The Chosin
Reservoir Campaign (Washington, 1957), ch. 1.
See also: Cagle and Manson, op. cit., ch. 4. Karig et al.,
op. cit., chs. 22—36.
Holy Communion at Sea.
Communion is held aboard the BAYFIELD for United Nations troops enroute to the Wonsan invasion by Chaplain
Edgar A. Day.
— 29 —
AREA OF OPERATIONS
1st Marine Division
October - December 1950
Railroads
Reads
MAP-2
Reproduced by permission from U.S. Marine Operations in Korea.
— 30 —
Reproduced by permission from U.S. Marine Operations in Korea.
— 31
Breakout at Hungnam. Reproduced by permission from The Sea War in Korea, by Malcolm W. Cagle and Frank A.
Manson. Copyright 1957 by the U.S. Naval Institute.
32 —
letters was the responsibility of Division Chaplain
Schwyhart. That the ministry of chaplains, and par-
ticularly their ministry of consolation and encourage-
ment to bereaved families, was appreciated by the
American people may be noted from the following ex-
cerpt from a letter sent by Gen. Clifton B. Cates, Com-
mandant of the Marine Corps, to Chaplain Ingvold-
stad in October 1950.
Your diligent self-application and devotion to your sacred
duties has been forcefully brought to my attention by the
many letters which I have received from the grateful parents
of young men who have made the supreme sacrifice on the
Korean battlefields. These parents, wives, these relatives
have paid glowing tribute to you in correspondence which
reflects nothing but gratitude for the knowledge that their
sons or husbands died in the company of one close to God
Almighty.
A few changes in the complement of chaplains at-
tached to the 1st Division took place before 31 Octo-
ber. Chaplain Glyn Jones was detached as Regimental
Chaplain of the 1st Marines, in compliance with Bu-
reau of Naval Personnel orders, and Chaplain Wil-
liam N. Lyons, already with the Division, was ordered
as his relief. Chaplain Kline d'A. Engle joined the
Division before it sailed from Inchon. Certain re-
assignments of duty were made within the Division.
With the detachment of Chaplains R. L. Bonner and
W. G. Tennant as casualties, the number of chaplains
attached to the Division was reduced to 26.
Wonsan to the Reservoir
From the last of August United States Naval ves-
sels had cooperated with the ROK Capital Division
as it advanced up the east coast from Pohang. On 1
October the ROK 3d Division had crossed the Parallel
and began an advance of some 50 miles up the east
coast. In the following months, the bombardment
force would continue to furnish harassing and inter-
diction fire against enemy positions along the eastern
coast. Air operations were intensified when elements
of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing began moving in to
Wonsan on 14 October.
The Division effected an administrative landing at
Wonsan as part of X Corps, on 25-26 October, and
at once fanned out in pursuit of North Korean forces.2
The landing was unopposed as the ROK I Corps had
already captured the city by 10 October, without a
fight. Delayed by the minesweeping operations, the'
Marines were chagrined to find that air maintenance
crews had beaten them to Wonsan by 12 days. Even
more humiliating, on the evening of the 24th Bob
Hope had been featured in a USO show which was
larded with "cracks" at the hapless Division going
back and forth like a yo-yo outside Wonsan harbor!
The 1st Battalion, 1st Marines was dispatched south
by rail about 35 miles to the supply center of Kojo,
guarded by an ROK detachment. Here a two-night
engagement took place as North Korean forces tried to
control the main communication route through the
valley. Chaplain Glyn Jones accompanied this unit;
but when it became necessary for him to leave, to
carry out orders returning him stateside, the area was
completely surrounded by enemy forces so that he had
to be flown out by helicopter to Wonsan.
General Almond now ordered his X Corps forward.
The 1st Marine Division was to branch off at Ham-
hung and proceed north and west to the Chosin
Reservoir. Certain ROK units were to follow the
coastline northward; and the 7th Army Division, put
ashore at Iwon, south of Wonsan, on 29 October was
to move inland toward the Pujan Reservoir.
As X Corps proceeded to its mission, 8th Army
had begun a parallel movement northward in the
west.3 Elements of I Corps, including British, ROK,
and American troops, spearheaded by the 1st Cavalry
Division, crossed the Parallel and by 21 October had
secured the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, and
its port, Chinnampo. With other ROK forces in
the middle, it was MacArthur's plan to link X Corps
and 8th Army in a concerted drive to the Yalu River
and the Manchurian border.
The Marines proceeded to Hamming, about 75
miles from Wonsan, by truck, and rail, meeting little
opposition en route. Hamhung lies inland about 5
miles from Hungnam, its seaport. Prior to the de-
parture to Hamhung, Chaplains Craven, Cornelius J.
Griffin, and Kester M. Hearn of the 7th Marines spent
several nights in a burnt-out Benedictine Abbey in
Tokwan, about 8 miles north of Wonsan. The three
chaplains settled down in the Abbey's undamaged
school building, and in the chapel each conducted
religious services. Chaplain Griffin, a Roman Cath-
olic, was greeted with joy by many of the natives
who said that he was the first priest they had seen for
over a year.
Later Chaplain Griffin, in an interview published
in the Monitor for 5 January 1951, commented on the
enthusiastic reception given to him by the Roman
Catholic Koreans at Tokwan. He said :
! Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. Ill, chs. II-IV.
3 Ibid., pp. 34-37. See also Korea, 1950 (Department
of the Army), pp. 150-153. For the Navy at Chinnampo,
see Cagle and Manson, op. cit., ch. 5.
— 33
The reception by the people was unbelievable. They fell
all over me when they learned I was a priest and begged me
to come and celebrate Mass. Several hours afterwards I
did — my first High Mass in the Navy.
In that time more than 500 villagers had assembled at
the Abbey. Lt. George Balzer of San Diego and Brother
Pincentius, O.S.B., a Korean, led a hastily assembled choir
of more than 100 in the Gregorian music of the Mass.
Nothing has ever sounded more beautiful to me. Practi-
cally everybody there received Communion.
Here the Marines were seeing at first-hand some
evidences of the way the Communists were persecut-
ing the Christians. They learned how the Commu-
nists, when they retreated from the Wonsan area the
first part of October, had spread straw through the
beautiful Abbey church, poured on gasoline and set
it afire. Many other examples came to the attention
of the Americans of the repressive measures practiced
by a Communist-dominated government against
Christians throughout North Korea.
Air Wing Chaplains
When elements of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
arrived at Wonsan, Chaplain John P. Murphy soon
discovered that out of a Catholic civilian population
of about 3,000 in Wonsan, only 2,000 remained.
Roman Catholic Christians had suffered a loss of one-
third of their number under the Communist regime.
The leaders had been methodically eliminated.
Priests and seminarians had been killed or carried off
to the North, never to be heard of again. Of the 50
Benedictine brothers and 80 nuns, only 10 brothers
and 12 sisters remained. The monastery in Wonsan
had been turned into a "People's Agricultural Col-
lege." The cross had been sawed off the top of the
church and the interior desecrated.
Chaplain Murphy took on a double load. In addi-
tion to his duties with the Marines, he tried to help the
civilian Catholic population, now led by a candidate
for the priesthood in deacon's orders. Beginning with
a small room in a private home, he celebrated Mass for
the poorly clad, hungry, but devout Koreans who
crowded in for his ministrations. The room over-
flowed and the civilians crowded the dingy hallway
and winding stairway. In addition to helping the
local church, Chaplain Murphy set up the North Ko-
rean Catholic Relief Society. The local military coin-
Liberated grain
arra
Food for the Needy.
is being passed out to all returning destitute citizens of Wonsan. Chaplain John P. Murphy (at right)
nged the distribution. He, in predawn services, resumed celebration of mass for the parish. '
— 34 —
Wonsan Pastor.
The Reverend Han June Myung of Jesus Church, Wonsan,
after preaching to Marine airmen, received the offering
contributed to his work from Chaplain George W. Cum-
mins. The Korean minister survived the masacre of 300
civilians in a cave where they were machinegunned by re-
treating Communists. November 1950.
mand had taken over a large amount of barley and
beans when the city was captured. Some of these
supplies were turned over to the Relief Society for dis-
tribution to the hungry people, regardless of religious
affiliation.
The situation in the 1st MAW had been extremely
fluid during the first months of the war. Besides its
headquarters base at Itami, Japan, operational fields
at Kimpo and now Wonsan had to be covered. Chap-
lain George W. Cummins (Southern Baptist) was at-
tached to Marine Air Group 12, which gradually was
established at Wonsan. At Kimpo, in the vicinity of
Seoul, Chaplain J. H. Markley was still with Marine
Air Group 33. Since Roman Catholic services were
available at Itami, Murphy divided his time between
the two operational groups. Protestant services were
conducted by Markley or Cummins whenever they
were able to get over to Japan.
Cummins earned for himself the reputation of being
a regular Humphrey Bogart of a chaplain. Accom-
panying official photographers to an ROK command
post, where they sought information about the scene of
a reported massacre of hundreds of political prisoners
by the retreating Communists, the chaplain attempted
to explain their purpose. When words proved un-
successful, Cummins resorted to pantomime; holding
his arms as if handling a machine gun, he emitted a
vocal imitation of rapid fire. It seemed to work ; the
ROK captain's eyes lighted up in understanding, and
he turned into the command post — to emerge bearing
a captured "burp" gun, which he thrust upon the
astonished chaplain. Doubtless proud of himself, he
stood smiling after the departing jeep, in which Cum-
mins sat holding gingerly his unexpected and un-
wanted weapon.
Chaplain Charles E. Webb (Roman Catholic) ar-
rived on 15 November; but before he could report to
Marine Aircraft Group 33, his assigned duty station,
the Chinese offensive had forced a withdrawal of
United Nations forces, and Webb operated in Japan
until January when he joined Marine Aircraft Group
12, now relocated at Pusan.
Chinese Intervention
The 7th Marines, the most recently formed regi-
ment of the 1st Division, with the largest percentage
of Reserves, spearheaded the thrust northward from
Hamhung toward Chinhung-ni, about 35 miles dis-
tant. On the night of 2-3 November this advance
force engaged a full Chinese Communist division in
the gorge country in the Sudong area a few miles south
of Chinhung-ni.4 Thus the 7th Marines had the dis-
tinction of being the first American unit to be engaged
with a Chinese Communist force in large-scale
combat. A furious 5-day battle followed, during which
the enemy's casualties were estimated to have run as
high as 9,000 with over 660 killed. The Marine
casualties included 46 dead and 264 wounded.
During the battle, two battalions of the 7th Marines
were attacked from the front and on both flanks for
about 24 hours. With these two battalions were
Chaplains Griffin and Kester M. Hearn. Here
Chaplain Griffin so distinguished himself that he was
recommended for and later received the Silver Star.
A part of his citation reads as follows :
During the late morning of 3 November, the same units of
the 7th Marines were subjected to heavy small arms fire.
Chaplain Griffin left the comparative security of the battalion
sick bay where he was rendering aid to the wounded and
moved back to the front lines. Here he repeatedly exposed
himself without regard for his personal safety to render what
aid he could to the wounded men in the attack. Chaplain
Griffin served as a veritable pillar of strength for the men of
the organization and served as an unforgettable inspiration to
all who observed him.
4 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. Ill, chs. V, VI.
also Cagle and Manson, op. cit., ch. 6, pp. 165-169.
See
535332 0—60-
35
From Chinhung-ni, which lies at an elevation of
1,000 feet, the narrow, tortuous road climbs steeply
for the next 10 miles over a 4,000-foot pass to Koto-ri,
situated on a high plateau just "over the hump."
After the decisive defeat of the Chinese Communists
at Sudong, the Marines met little resistance on their
march northward through Koto-ri to Hagaru-ri, an-
other 1 1 miles distant. Hagaru-ri, 56 miles from
Hamhung, was located at the foot of the Chosin
Reservoir. The Marines reached this point on 15
November.5
Maj. Gen. O. P. Smith, in command of the 1st
Division, felt considerable misgivings about his posi-
tion and about alternate operational plans being con-
sidered by General MacArthur. He wrote to Gen.
Clifton B. Cates, Commandant, as follows:
I believe a winter campaign in the mountains of North
Korea is too much to ask of the American soldier or marine,
and I doubt the feasibility of supplying troops in this area
during the winter or providing for the evacuation of sick and
wounded.
And in conclusion he expressed concern over "the
prospect of stringing out a Marine division along a
single mountain road for 120 air miles from Hamhung
to the border." 6
Small streams were noticed to be frozen over. Rice
paddies had been glazed since October. And on
15 November when the 7th Marines occupied Hagaru,
the temperature was 4° below zero. Already the Ma-
rines, though equipped with winter clothing and sleep-
ing bags, were reporting cases of frostbite. An
ominous calm had ensued following the battle with
Chinese Communists at Sudong. Taking a dim view
of the possibility of a successful race against time,
weather, and unknown enemy, the Marines neverthe-
less made preparations to fulfill their mission. Reports
were received from local Koreans of the presence of
many Chinese troops in the vicinity; yet temporarily
the enemy refrained from offering further resistance.
Thanksgiimig Day, 1950
In the lull before the storm, the chaplains attached
to the 1st Division were able to carry on most of their
usual duties in spite of many difficulties. Writing to
the Chief of Chaplains on 1 December 1950, Chap-
lain R. M. Schwyhart, the Division Chaplain, sum-
marized :
During the month of November 1950 the Division took
positions covering an area all the way from Wonsan to
Hagaru-ri. In spite of this, communication with the chap-
' Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. Ill, ch. VII.
' Ibid., pp. 132-134.
lains has been relatively good ; furthermore I have person-
ally seen all but three of them during the month. All of
the chaplains are doing a most commendable job. Perform-
ing their tasks as chaplains amidst the barriers of the distance
and shortage of transportation, subfreezing temperatures,
mountains and snow has not been easily done; nevertheless,
I have not heard or seen evidences of any complaints, only
that this conflict cannot be brought to an end.
Chaplain Kenneth D. Perkins, Force Chaplain,
FMF Pac, arrived at Hamhung for an official visit on
18 November. Of this Schwyhart wrote in his letter
to Chaplain Salisbury:
The next day, Sunday, he favored us by delivering the
sermon at the Division Headquarters Protestant Divine Serv-
ice. Later that day we attended, by invitation, a large meet-
ing of local representatives of all Presbyterian churches in
Hamhung. The following day we drove by jeep to Hagaru-
ri to see the chaplains in the 7th Regiment. We spent Tues-
day morning visiting at the Division Cemetery at Hungnam
at which time there were 93 Marine burials. He departed
by plane for return to Pearl Harbor at noon, 21 Novem- i
ber 1950.
During the few days of comparative calm spent at i
Hagaru-ri, the chaplains gave great encouragement to ;
the native Christians who had suffered much at the j
hands of the Communists. Chaplain Sporrer reported ,
on his questionnaire:
Two little churches, one of them at the Reservoir, were re- •
opened for the first time since the Red forces closed them. !
The congregations had secreted the altar furnishings in their I
respective homes, and candlesticks, pictures, and crucifixes
appeared as by magic from all over the villages.
One of the congregations, as a collection, placed three
eggs on a plate in the rear of the church for me to take
as I left.
The native Christians looked upon the Marines as
their heaven-sent deliverers from the Communists.
Several of the Navy chaplains who penetrated into
North Korea with the Marines had thrilling experi-
ences with the Christians. Chaplain Craven reported
one such incident in his questionnaire.
At Hagaru-ri we met an old Presbyterian minister and
his saintly wife. They had been hiding in the caves and
rocks for several months before our arrival. The church
had been destroyed but their parsonage was still standing
with a small cross on the highest peak. We obtained per-
mission to use the bombed out theater building for their
first church service in several months. I returned their
church bell which the Communists had used for an alarm
bell in the police headquarters. The tears of joy flowed
freely down the old Presbyterian pastor's face. He insisted
that I preach to his people through an interpreter. Next
day I met in the pastor's home with 35 baptized believers
for Bible study.
Chaplain Schwyhart in his letter to Chaplain Salis-
bury of 1 December wrote concerning some of the
36 —
Ch
;-h Bell Restored.
Chaplain John H. Craven returns the church bell used by
the Communists at police headquarters to its rightful own-
ers, Christians at Hagaru-ri beside Chosin Reservoir, at the
first religious service after 3 years of persecution. The re-
cipient is Korean Pastor Lee In Soup.
Something of the damage to the church is indicated in this
photograph. Military and civilian committees began work
to rebuild the church founded by Canadian missionaries
but soon North Korea was taken by Chinese troops.
Expressing Gratitude.
The Reverend and Mrs. Lee En Suep of the Central Presbyterian Church, Hagaru-ri, thanking Lieutenant Colonel Murray for
the liberation "of our country and our church." Participating in the thanksgiving service and pictured with the group
is Chaplain Ingvoldstad.
events of the preceding Thanksgiving Day: "Chaplain
Ingvoldstad, Regimental Chaplain, 5th Marines,
joined in a service with the local Presbyterian pastor
at Hagaru-ri who gave thanks for the liberation of his
Korean people from the hands of the Communists
who had so long prevented their worship." Unfor-
tunately for the Korean Christians, the later with-
drawal of the forces of the United Nations left them
at the mercy of the Communists who were ruthless
in wreaking vengeance. This accounted in part for
the waves of refugees who surged southward by every
possible means to get to safety behind the anti-Com-
munist lines.
Thanksgiving Day, 1950, was celebrated by the Ma-
rines of the 1st Division with special attention being
given to the religious significance of the day. Chap-
lain Schwyhart sent out a memorandum to all chap-
lains of the Division suggesting that each hold as many
services as possible. This was done. Chaplain How-
ard H. Groover, 1st Service Battalion, held two out-of-
door services that day; Chaplain Patrick A. Killeen,
1st Signal Battalion, conducted two Catholic Masses,
both largely attended; and by arrangements with the
mess officer, each chaplain said a blessing at the "chow-
line."
On 25 November the Marines continued their north-
ward march toward the Yalu River by taking the road
which led from Hagaru-ri in a northwesterly direction
over the 4,700-foot Toktong Pass to Yudam-ni 14 miles
away. Here was another twisting, narrow road that
had to be traversed. Some 15,000 Marines were now
at the Reservoir ready to join a part of the Army which
was advancing north by a more westerly route. But
the union of the Marines with the Army never
occurred.
Crisis at Yudam-ni
Yudam-ni marked the most northern advance of the
Marines in Korea.7 On the night of 27-28 November
bugle-blowing, screaming Communists began to attack
at Yudam-ni and it was soon apparent that they were
present in overwhelming numbers. Shortly after-
wards enemy forces, deployed along the thin supply
line which connected the advance body of Marines
with its base at Hamhung, began to cut the motor sup-
ply route in several places. The temperature was dip-
ping to subzero readings during the nights. Little
wonder that many were nearing the edge' of nervous
exhaustion: not far enough gone in battle fatigue to
warrant hospitalization, but giving clear signs of bone-
weariness : wan face, trembling hands. "Shook," they
would say of such a one; "he is shook." Dietary de-
ficiencies were beginning to appear because of the lack
of hot food, and many of the Marines were suffering
from diarrhea. Weapons often froze to such a degree
they were rendered unserviceable.
Chaplain Craven later described some of the diffi-
culties faced regarding the care of the wounded :
Taking care of the wounded during this period also pre-
sented problems to stagger the imagination. During the
first 2 days of heavy fighting at Yudam-ni, we suffered so
many casualties that we ran out of tents in which to place
them. I had a working party gather hay from the scattered
stacks and spread it out on the courtyard of a native house.
We placed the wounded foot to foot on the straw and covered
them with a large tarpaulin. . . . This arrangement helped
to conserve on our tentage and also facilitated our ministry
to the wounded.
During these days, under ever-increasing pressure
from the enemy, the doctors and the chaplains had
little or no time for sleep.8 Chaplain Craven, for in-
stance, who was working with the regimental surgeon,
stated that he went without sleep for 3 days. Once
he was sent to an empty tent to rest and had hardly
stretched out when another consignment of wounded
arrived who were put in the same tent. Of course
there was no opportunity then for sleep when the
wounded needed help so desperately.
On 30 November the order was given to the Marines
at Yudam-ni to withdraw. By that time there were
600 wounded men, many of whom were ambulance
cases. Transportation was a problem. The more
serious cases were given priority in all available am-
bulances and trucks. The need for fighting men was
so urgent that the walking wounded were given guns.
Just before leaving Yudam-ni, Chaplain Craven
conducted a brief funeral service for about 80 Marines
who had lost their lives in the fighting at that place.
In his reply to the questionnaire Craven commented :
"The problems involved in attempting to bury bodies
during the Chosin Reservoir campaign when the
frozen ground was covered with ice and snow and
the temperature about 20 below zero are beyond
words to describe."
The following seven chaplains were with the
Marines at Yudam-ni: 5th Marines — O. Ingvoldstad,
B. L. Hickey, and L. R. Phillips; 7th Marines— J. H.
Craven and C. J. Griffin; and 11th Marines — O. E.
Sporrer and B. C. Howland.
'Ibid., chs. VIII-XI. For a brief sketch of activities of
other UN forces during this critical period, see Korea, 1950
(Department of the Army), ch. V, pp. 227-229.
'Marine Corps Gazette (December 1952). See Lynn
Montross, "They Make Men Whole Again: The Medical
Battalion and Chaplains in Korea."
38
Interview.
Chaplain Craven counsels with a marine at the aid station during the 7th Marines campaign in the reservoir area.
Brief Pause.
marines take advantage of a lull in the continual
from Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri to catch a moment's
Exhausted
fighting
rest.
The Bitter Withdrawal
The withdrawal of the Marines from Yudam-ni to
Hamhung, which was reached on 1 1 December, proved
to be a most bitter experience.9 Writing to Chaplain
Salisbury on 1 December 1950, Chaplain Schwyhart
referred to the precarious situation in which the Ma-
rines were then placed. "We have many wounded,"
he wrote, "and the road-blocking leading up to
Hagaru-ri has made evacuation of the wounded nigh
impossible." He closed his letter with the expression
of a hope that the situation would improve. The very
opposite was the case. Even as he wrote, the Marines
formerly at Yudam-ni were fighting their way south-
ward over the 4,700-foot Toktong Pass where a Ma-
rine company had been completely surrounded by the
enemy for 5 days before being rescued.
Writing to Salisbury on 15 December, Schwyhart
called the withdrawal of the Marines to Hamhung
"the toughest and worst experience" in the whole his-
tory of the Marine Corps. He continued :
It is not possible to adequately describe or relate the events
of the past 17 days: ambushed convoys leaving many men
" Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. Ill, chs. XII XV.
For details of Navy and Marine air coverage of the redeploy-
ment, see Cagle and Manson, op. cit., ch. V. pp. 169fT.
Korea, 1950 (Department of the Army) sketches in the
withdrawal of 8th Army from the northwest ; pp. 229ff.
39
killed, wounded, missing or POW ; entrapped troops fighting
their way back from Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri, thence to
Koto-ri, against overwhelming numbers of enemy troops and
the elements, with temperatures going as low as 15° below
zero; men with fr02en feet and legs; heroism and deeds of
valor which officers and men had little thought that they
would be called upon to perform ; the life-saving performance
of the air-delivery platoon which dropped tons of supplies,
including food and medical supplies, and which evacuated
the wounded by air from Hagaru-ri and Koto-ri.
In a Division Memorandum dated 19 December,
Gen. Oliver P. Smith declared: "This withdrawal,
which was concluded when the last elements of the
Division closed the Hamhung area on December 11,
will become an epic in the annals of the Marine Corps."
And he added: "Seldom, if ever, have Marines been
forced to battle against comparable odds." The tem-
perature dropped as low as 20° below zero and the
narrow, winding road became even more hazardous
covered as it was with snow and ice.
First Stage
The withdrawal from Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri was
completed on 4 December at a cost of 2,260 casualties
of whom 358 were killed, 153 were missing, and 1,749
were wounded. In addition, another 1,072 had be-
come nonbattle casualties, largely owing to frostbite.
In his description of those heart-rending days. Chap-
lain Craven wrote:
When we left Yudam-ni we had about 600 wounded in
trucks and strapped to jeeps and when we arrived at Hagaru-
ri, 14 miles away, about 3 days later we had over 1,000
wounded. Chaplain Orlando Ingvoldstad, regimental chap-
lain of the 5th Marines, and I worked closely together in
ministering to these wounded. During periods when the
convoy was held up by heavy fighting, we filled the large
native cooking vats which were a part of the kitchen
stoves with water and heated the C-ration cans to feed the
patients on stretchers. While this heating of food was going
on we permitted ambulatory patients to come into the rooms
of the native huts to warm on the radiantly heated floors.
After 20 minutes these men would be turned out and an-
other group admitted who had been standing outside in the
cold. Occasionally the chaplain had to get a little rough
with some of the men who wanted more than their share of
the heat.
The most heart-breaking experience came when trucks
or weapons-carriers turned over on icy roads in the middle
of the night, and the already wounded men would be killed
or receive further injuries. Trying to pick up these wounded
men and find places for them on other vehicles previously
loaded with casualties, while the bluish-green Communist
machine-gun bullets were flying around, was a nightmare
I shall never forget.
At Hagaru-ri I worked all one night with two British
Navy hospital corpsmen attached to the British Royal
Marines. The three of us had four tents and two native
houses filled with stretcher cases to care for as best we could.
We were isolated from the large Field Hospital, and no
doctor could be spared to stay with us. The next morning
I secured a large utensil filled with hot cakes and a gallon
of jam. We spread jam on the cakes, rolled them up and
passed them out to our patients. I don't suppose anyone
ever appreciated homemade jelly rolls as much as they did.
At Hagaru most of the men of the 5th and 7th
Marines enjoyed hot food again for the first time in
8 days. Writing to Chaplain Salisbury on 5 December,
Schwyhart stated: "I have checked on the chaplains
of the 5th and 7th Regiments and am glad to report
that they are well. They are dreadfully tired, having
been without sleep for 2 and 3 days and nights."
Among the chaplains with Division troops at
Hagaru-ri was Chaplain W. M. Hearn. In his reply
to the questionnaire, Hearn wrote :
Those chaplains who were in the Hagaru area during the
"trap" tried to cover the hospital units. I had a small
Communion set and gave Communion to as many as possible
as they were brought into the field hospital at Hagaru.
Divine services involving large groups were dangerous; so I
went from tent to tent for brief prayers during these times,
or in foxholes or wherever men were together. My most
memorable prayer was given on the running board of a mov-
ing truck as I prayed with the men driving, at their request.
Bowed heads and closed eyes were, of course, impossible —
at least for the driver.
Chaplain B. C. Howland in his reply to the ques-
tionnaire likewise referred to his ministry to the men
who escaped from the Communist trap at Yudam-ni.
He wrote: "At Hagaru-ri, where I was stationed,
when they came down from the Reservoir there was
a united expression of desire to receive Communion."
Chaplain Joseph G. Power reported holding a Com-
munion Service with the men standing in 2 feet or
more of snow.
The first chaplain to be wounded in the Chosin
Reservoir campaign was Chaplain Kevin J. Keaney
who received three machine gun wounds in the left
thigh and ankle on 29 November. At the time Chap-
lain Keaney was going from Koto-ri to Hagaru-ri to
join the 3d Battalion, 1st Marines. The convoy in
which he was riding was attacked just above Koto-ri.
Chaplain Keaney's description of what happened was
published in the Newport N analog of 8 June 1951,
from which the following has been taken :
The Communists opened up at us with machine guns. I
jumped behind a tree and made myself as thin as possible. !
The bullets chipped off hunks of bark all around me. When
the firing quieted we could see the enemy moving about on
the snow-covered hillsides in the distance.
The men sought refuge in the ditch by the side of
the road. There was but one machine gun in the
group, in addition to side arms, so the enemy had
— 40-
little fear. After dark the Communists moved in
closer, some setting up machine guns within 30 yards
of the entrapped men. When a Marine was wounded.
Chaplain Keaney moved to his side to give assistance.
Seeing a jeep nearby, several decided to take a desper-
ate chance to get the wounded man to safety. Chap-
lain Keaney helped to get the wounded man into the
jeep. His account continues:
We had just got him in when I felt a sting in the lower
part of my left leg. I jumped into the back of the jeep and
another blast hit me in the leg. The jeep started to move.
However, the heavy machine gun fire forced the driver to
leave the road and the jeep careened into a ditch of near
frozen water. It was the cold water on my wounds that
probably saved my life.
The arrival of a tank and some trucks rescued the
group. Keaney was taken to Hagaru-ri, and evacu-
ated by air to Japan on 4 December. Chaplain Pat-
rick A. Killeen was sent by helicopter to Hagaru-ri as
the relief of Chaplain Keaney.
Psalms at Hagaru
Another chaplain who had a narrow escape on this
same road which connected Hagaru-ri with Koto-ri
was William M. Hearn. Chaplain Schwyhart, in his
letter of 15 December, wrote:
The hand of God is very real. One chaplain, W. M.
Hearn, tried to return to one of his battalion trucks after an
ambush. Within about 20 feet of the truck he noted that
it was being looted by Chinese troops so he fell down in a
snow bank alongside the road and stayed there for 2 hours.
His convoy continued on and his people felt that the chaplain
was missing but he showed up the next day.
While ministering to the men at Hagaru, Hearn
found that the dramatic events through which the
Marines were passing provided a new background for
appreciating the Psalms. Writing to Chaplain Salis-
bury, after the evacuation from Hungnam, Hearn
explained:
During our days at Hagaru, we found much consolation
and food for thought in many parts of the Bible. This was
especially true of many passages from the Psalms. Enclosed
herewith is an article based on the experience of Marines
matched with passages from the Psalms.
The following are some extracts from the article
which Chaplain Hearn entitled "Psalms at Hagaru."
The sun breaks through the early morning clouds. It
paints the snowy hills of Hagaru with a delicate shade of
pink against blue skies. Another day, another place, this
would be beautiful; but today there is no time for thoughts
of beauty. There are 50,000 and more reasons why one can-
not dwell on beauty this morning. Hidden some place in
these hills are the 50,000 and more reasons, each armed with
rifle, mortar or machine gun.
And look yet again at the hills, at the snow, at the sun.
Before the mountains were formed in the fiery fury of a
young earth, before the snows, yes, before the sun cast forth
its first light and flame, God was.
"Lord, thou has been our dwelling place in all genera-
tions. Before the mountains were formed, or ever thou hadst
formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to
everlasting thou art God."
The 23d Psalm took on new meaning. "The Lord
is my Shepherd ; I shall not want." Continuing with
"He leadeth me beside the still waters," Chaplain
Hearn made a reference to the "frozen ice of Chosin,"
"still waters" over which some of the Marines crossed
to safety.
Darkness falls and fear creeps out to cover the valley. What
of the night ? O Lord, my God what of the night ?
"The Lord is my light and my salvation ; whom shall I
fear?"
Fear stalks above and pauses in each foxhole and leaves
with each a part of itself; unwelcome visitor, intangible, but
more real than gun or mountain. Time creeps by despite my
assurances unto my soul. Fear creeps in and sits beside my
prayers.
"The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be
afraid?"
As we wait in the darkness for the morning, we watch the
shadows and listen to the stillness. They move by night,
silently, so silently. Oh for the sun of the morning, the planes
flying over in their dawn strike, light to send the quiet menace
back beyond the hills.
"My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch
for the morning: I say more than they that watch for the
morning."
In the early hours of morning they charge with bugles.
Fury mounts upon fury. Hell opens its very jaws.
"Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord, Lord,
hear my voice."
The waves of hell subside and grow still with the morning.
The lines have held. Yes, we have found the deliverance for
which we waited through the dark and fearful night.
"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."
When the Marines were safely behind the defense
perimeter at Hamhung, Chaplain Hearn opened his
Bible again to the Psalter and read Psalm 124. The
fearful ordeal through which he had just passed gave
new meaning to old and familiar words :
Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to
their teeth.
Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the
fowlers; the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven
and earth.
Chaplain Hearn was later awarded a Letter of
Commendation with Combat "V" for excellent service
in the line of his profession while serving with a Ma-
rine ordnance battalion prior to and during operations
in Korea from 15 Auerust to 15 December 1950.
41
Greater Love Hath No Man
The march south from Hagaru-ri to Koto-ri began
on 6 December, only 2 days after the final elements of
the Yudam-ni forces arrived at Hagaru. At 2230 of
that day Chaplain Cornelius J. Griffin was seriously
wounded when the ambulance in which he was riding
came under severe machine gun fire. While en route
to Koto-ri, Chaplain Griffin was giving the last rites of
his church to a dying young Marine. With the chap-
lain was his assistant, Sgt. Matthew Caruso. On a
narrow mountainous road leading into Koto-ri, the
convoy ran into a roadblock. Although the ambu-
lance was clearly marked with the Red Cross, such a
symbol of mercy was not respected by the Communists.
A machine gun bullet tore through the chaplain's
lower jaw, causing a deep wound. Another bullet hit
him in the right shoulder. Sergeant Caruso flung
himself over his chaplain just in time to catch another
bullet which took his life. In an interview published
in the Monitor of 5 January 1951, Griffin said:
My clerk was killed as he lay alongside me. He was a 20-
year-old grenadier and rifleman assigned to cover me, one of
the finest kids I ever knew, Sgt. Matthew Caruso of Rocky
Hill, Conn. He never left me, saved me I don't know how
many times and even covered me with his body. He died 20
minutes after I had given him Communion.
Chaplain Griffin was knocked unconscious by the
terrific blow on the jaw. Word was quickly passed to
Chaplain Craven, who was then about a mile away,
that Chaplain Griffin had been wounded. When
Griffin regained consciousness, he was aware that
some one was bending over him trying to get him to
say the Act of Contrition : "O my God, I am heartily
sorry for having offended thee . . . and I detest all
my sins . . ." As the wounded chaplain began to
repeat the words of the Roman Catholic prayer, he
realized that the one bending over him was none other
than his friend, John Craven, a Baptist. The story
of this incident was recorded in the spring of 1951 and
widely broadcast during Brotherhood Week to illus-
trate the meaning of brotherhood.
Several months later at a ceremony at Pearl Harbor
when Chaplain Griffin was awarded the Silver Star
for conspicuous gallantry while in action against the
enemy on 3 November, Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd said
to Griffin as he pinned on the medal: "They don't give
a damn whom they shoot, do they, Chaplain?"
Chaplain Griffin was evacuated from Koto-ri to
Japan by air on 8 December. His wound in the jaw
required many operations and much plastic surgery
during about a year and a half spent in Navy hos-
pitals. Chaplain Griffin was the most seriously
wounded of all Navy chaplain casualties of Korea. A
chapel at Camp Pendleton has been named in honor
of Sergeant Caruso.
Among those who rendered notable service in the
withdrawal from Hagaru-ri to Koto-ri were Chaplains
Robert L. Patton and William D. Lyons. Both re-
ceived the Letter of Commendation award for their
tireless devotion to the men of their units, frequently
exposing themselves to enemy fire in their efforts to
minister to the wounded.
In the midst of such constant danger, where death
might come flying with the speed of a bullet and where
no one knew what a few minutes might bring forth,
many Leathernecks found strength and consolation in
religion. Navy chaplains were there to lead them in
the worship of Almighty God. Chaplain B. C. How-
land in his questionnaire commented on an experience
which took place at Koto-ri.
The most impressive service of Holy Communion in my
experience as a minister occurred at Koto-ri on the way
down from the Reservoir. Chaplain Preston D. Parsons,
assigned to the 2d Battalion, and I conducted the service
with the snow lightly falling on the heads of the men knelt
in prayer. Over 100 gathered there not knowing whether
we would ever get back to Hamhung but thankful that so
far the Division had been able to make it down the roads.
The faces of those men, as I placed the wafer on their
tongues, showed that they were putting their trust in the
Master of all men as they united in professing their loyalty
to Him.
. . . to the Sea
South of Koto-ri, the withdrawing column of Ma-
rines ran into a new difficulty when they discovered
that the enemy had destroyed a 29-foot section of a
bridge on the road leading down from the 4,000-foot
summit. The road at that point was on a shelf of a
cliff which could not be bypassed. On 7 December a
successful air-drop of the necessary 2,500 pound
Treadway bridge section was made ; the necessary re-
pairs were completed on 9 December within 3 hours
after the materials were made available at the site,
and the march continued.
By the morning of 10 December the advance units
of the 7th Marines were moving out of Chinhung-ni,
and on the afternoon of that day they finally reached
Hamhung, where hot food and warm shelters were
awaiting them. The last elements of the Division
reached Hamhung at 1300 the next day and the long
ordeal which began at Yudam-ni on 30 November was
over. The Marines succeeded in bringing back to
the protecting lines around Hamhung all their
wounded, many of their dead, much of their equip-
12
To the Sea.
Marines fight their way through hordes of Chinese communists in subzero weather down the mountains.
Mountain gale hinder their progress.
— 43
ment, and even some prisoners. Such items as were
of necessity left behind had been destroyed.
"Shores of Tripoli"
Not only were hot food and warm shelters awaiting
the battle-weary Marines at Hamhung but also mail
from home. Before leaving the Mediterranean area
on 15 August, Chaplain Craven had sent a roll of
Kodachrome film to the processing laboratory for de-
velopment. The package of finished slides was a part
of the mail that the chaplain received at Hamhung on
10 December. Among the slides was one which
showed the chaplain in a bathing suit on the French
Riviera. Chaplain Craven held the film up to the
light — the contrast was striking! Four months earlier
he was in the pink of condition. He looked in the
mirror and saw a gaunt, drawn face. The scales told
him he had lost some 30 pounds and the ribs showing
through his sides bore eloquent testimony that the
scales were not lying. Chaplain Craven held the pic-
ture up to the light again and asked himself the ques-
tion: "Can it be that I and this person in the picture
are one and the same?" His experience was that of
all the survivors of that 6th Fleet battalion. Within 3
months these men had been taken from the balmy
shores of the blue Mediterranean and hurled into bat-
tle in the freezing temperatures of North Korea. And
after another month they had become veterans of one
of the toughest campaigns in the annals of the Marine
Corps history.
Chaplain Craven was awarded the Legion of Merit
for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the perform-
ance of outstanding services" from 28 November to 10
December 1950. The citation reads, in part, as
follows :
On one occasion, he participated in an evacuation opera-
tion in which more than 600 wounded Marines were loaded
into trucks and transferred to rear aid stations. By his com-
plete devotion to his fellow man in the face of extremely
adverse combat conditions, Lieutenant Commander Craven
served to inspire and encourage all who observed him. His
fortitude, professional integrity and courageous conduct
throughout were in keeping with highest traditions of the
United States Naval Service.
But the stereotyped language of an official citation
can hardly convey the living reality of the dedicated
ministry of a chaplain. More meaningful is the fol-
lowing letter of Capt. Don France who, before he was
killed during the Chinese offensive on the night of
5 December 1950, wrote about Chaplain Craven to his
home church.1"
"Marine Corps Gazette (December 1953), p. 18. D. D.
Nicholson. Jr., "Their Faith Is Yours."
Cathedral of Saint Phillip,
Atlanta, Ga.
Dear Dean Walthour: This is the interim period when
all of us are trying to catch up with our letter writing. . . .
I landed at Inchon on D-day, was among the 1st Marines to
cross the Han River, fought to capture Seoul, and it was my
regiment that made the drive to Uijongbu. ... In all those
days one man stood out in my mind as the real leader, spirit
and principle for which we are fighting. He is a mild-
mannered Navy chaplain who answers to the name of John
Craven. I met Chaplain Craven back at Camp Lejeune.
Everyone liked him and I remember saying to myself at the
time, "When things get rough, it is going to be comforting
to have him around."
Since landing in Korea, I know that Chaplain Craven has
spent more time in the frontlines than any other man in the
regiment. Often on patrols I encountered him talking to
the men — the dying, and instilling confidence in all those he
met. By his very presence everything seemed better and
easier and the men accomplished deeds that will live for-
ever. To all of us, he has been a shining example of a chap-
lain, a father, and a man.
Chaplain Craven has the distinction of having served
with the Marines through seven campaigns — four in
World War II (the Marshalls, Saipan, Tinian and
Iwo Jima) and three in the Korean War. It is be-
lieved that this has established a record in the history
of the Chaplain Corps.
Chaplain Ingvoldstad was also awarded the Legion
of Merit for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the
performance of outstanding services" from 28 Novem-
ber to 10 December 1950. The citation reads, in part,
as follows:
Untiring in his efforts to be of service to the men in his
regiment, Lieutenant-Commander Ingvoldstad frequently ex-
posed himself to accurate enemy small-arms and machine-
gun fire in the field to comfort and cheer the troops, ad-
minister first aid to the wounded, and assist in evacuating
casualties. He directly contributed in saving the lives of
many wounded. His constant contributions in feeding
wounded, shifting wounded to motor vehicle hoods to keep
the badly hit from freezing to death, patrolling the column
to assist corpsmen in administering first aid all contributed
immeasurably in saving some 1200 wounded. His fortitude,
professional integrity and courageous conduct throughout
were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United
States Naval Service.
Wall of Fire
Worried by the situation in North Korea, senior
naval officers had already in early November begun
planning for the eventuality of a United Nations with-
drawal." A number of ships, including the BOXER,
en route to stateside, were recalled, and all available
shipping began to be collected. And fortunately so:
" Cagle and Manson, op. cit., pp. 179-192.
— 44-
for in December the Navy found itself ordered to take
off 8th Army troops from the west coast, at Chinnampo
and Inchon, and X Corps troops from Wonsan and
Hungnam on the east. Actually, since a large part of
8th Army was finally able to withdraw overland, the
naval redeployment in the west was not a major task,
and outloading at Wonsan proceeded methodically
and with a minimum of opposition. But it was far
otherwise at Hungnam.
With three American divisions (1st Marine, 3d
Army, 7th Army), a number of ROK regimental
combat teams, and mountains of gear on the beaches,
the Navy raised a wall of fire around the port city. As
13 ships poured shells into a perimeter surrounding
the area, planes from 7 carriers provided an umbrella
overhead. VALLEY FORGE, hastily recalled from
the United States, and PRINCETON, newly arrived
in early December, joined LEYTE and PHILIPPINE
SEA, which had been providing air support for X
Corps from the beginning of this operation. Also
present were the escort carriers SICILY and BA-
DOENG STRAIT, now joined by the B ATA AN. In
addition to rocket ships and destroyers, naval gunfire
was furnished by the MISSOURI and the heavy
cruisers ROCHESTER and ST. PAUL.
Serving as chaplains in the LEYTE were Clovis A.
Frame (Methodist) and Charles A. Szczesny (Roman
Catholic) , both of whom reported on 28 August 1950.
In the PRINCETON were Raymond F. McManus
(Roman Catholic), from August 1950 to February
1952, and George J. Enyedi (Presbyterian), a Re-
serve who returned to active duty in August 1950 and
was aboard until September 1951. The light carrier
BATAAN had as its only chaplain a Roman Catholic,
John J. Coffey, from July 1950 to July 1952. Chaplain
in ST. PAUL, also from July 1950 to July 1952, was
Faber H. Wickham, a Presbyterian (USA).
End of an Epic
Heavy casualties were suffered by the Marines in
the withdrawal to Hamhung. Writing to Chaplain
Salisbury on 5 December, Chaplain Schwyhart re-
ported :
I have been spending the majority of time at the clearing
center, Yong-po Airport, where they evacuated by air from
Hagaru-ri a thousand casualties yesterday and an estimated
1,100 today. Today we begin a heavy schedule of burials
at the Division Cemetery. This past week, since a week ago
today, has been what Sherman said war was.
On 9 December, he wrote again: 'Yesterday we
buried 149 at Koto-ri; today more burials, now total-
ing 216, at Hungnam." And on 15 December, in an-
other letter to Chaplain Salisbury, Schwyhart stated :
"At the Division Cemetery at Hungnam, there were
324 graves, mostly Marines, a few Army, 3 British
Commandos, and 29 ROKS."
According to official statistics,12 the Marine losses
from 27 November to 11 December 1950 were as
follows :
Killed in action 432
Died of wounds 101
Missing in action 249
Wounded 2,710
Total 3,492
In addition there were over 3,600 nonbattle casualties,
largely from frostbite. Enemy losses for the same pe-
riod were estimated at a total of 37,500 — 15,000 killed
and 7,500 wounded by Marine ground forces, plus
10,000 killed and 5,000 wounded by Marine air strikes.
On 13 December a memorial service was conducted
at the Division Cemetery at Hungnam in which the
following chaplains took part — R. M. Schwyhart
(Protestant), Garson Goodman (Jewish), and P. A.
Killeen (Roman Catholic). Even as Gen. Oliver P.
Smith, the Division Commander, delivered the ad-
dress, preparations proceeded for the burial of the last
bodies brought down from Chinhung-ni.
Chaplain Goodman, attached to Division head-
quarters at Hamhung, was the only Jewish chaplain
with the 1st Marine Division. On 5 December he
conducted two services for Hanukkah. As was to be
expected, the number of men of the Jewish faith in
the 1st Division was comparatively small; yet at one
time Chaplain Goodman found 12 Jewish patients at
the 121st Evacuation Hospital and 4 at the Division
Hospital, and among markers placed over the mounds
in the different military cemeteries were those bear-
ing the Star of David.
In his letter of 15 December to Chaplain Salisbury,
written aboard the BAYFIELD, as it sailed from
Hungnam, Chaplain Schwyhart summarized as fol-
lows the role played by the chaplains in the Chosin
Reservoir campaign:
Throughout the operation the chaplains, all of them, gave
unsparingly of themselves to render assistance and to min-
ister as chaplains wherever and whenever possible. Frankly,
it is not possible to point out outstanding performances, be-
cause everyone in his own way did just that.
Four Chaplains Award, B'nai B'rith
Chaplain Schwyhart would be the first Navy re-
cipient of the Four Chaplains Award, which was es-
13 Marine Corps Gazette ( November 1951), Lynn Montross,
"Breakout From the Reservoir: Marine Epic of Fire and
Ice."
45 —
Chaplain Robert M. Schwyhart, Division Chaplain, is shown participating in the memorial services for marines after their
breakout from the Chosin Reservoir. The services are held in the Division Cemetery at Hungnam.
Memorial Services, Hungnam.
Chaplains Goodman, Killeen, and Schwyhart lead the marines of the 1st Division as they remember fallen buddies at
memorial services at the Division's Cemetery at Hungnam, following the breakout from Chosin Reservoir.
tablished by the Alexander D. Goode Lodge, B'nai
B'rith, of New York City. The award honors the
memory of the four Army chaplains lost in the sink-
ing of the Army troop transport DORCHESTER on
3 February 1943; of these one was a Roman Catholic,
two were Protestants and the fourth, Alexander D.
Goode, Jewish.
In February 1951 the Lodge presented a check for
$500 to the Chiefs of Chaplains of each of the three
branches of the Armed Forces for presentation to that
chaplain in each Chaplain Corps who should be se-
lected- as best representing the spirit of brotherhood
and cooperation displayed by the four chaplains lost
in the DORCHESTER. A committee of Navy chap-
— 46
lains appointed by Chief of Chaplains S. W. Salis-
bury chose 1st Marine Division Chaplain Robert M.
Schwyhart to be thus honored.
The presentation ceremony was held 31 March
1951, after Schwyhart had been relieved from duty
in Korea, at the Naval Gun Factory, Washington,
D.C. The citation reads:
Commander Robert M. Schwyhart, Chaplain Corps, U.S.
Navy has expressed his firm faith in God by exemplifying to
the men whom he served, the 1st Marine Division, Fleet
Marine Force, great steadfastness in the face of adversity;
notable courage when circumstances tended to promote fear
and discouragement; a broad charity which manifested itself
in service to all his men regardless of their creed, rank, or
position; the spirit of sacrifice which caused him to give of
his strength with compassion and to suffer hardship and
danger with equanimity; and faithfulness in his stewardship
of the things of God which was consistent with that of the
four chaplains in whose memory this award is presented.
Back to the Bean Patch
The battered United Nations forces, including the
1st Marine Division, were evacuated from Hungnam
during the period 12-24 December, in an "amphibi-
ous landing in reverse." The summary statistics are
nearly incredible: 105,000 military personnel (Army,
Navy, Air Corps, and Marine, together with ROK
units), 91,000 civilian Korean refugees, 17,500 ve-
hicles, and 350,000 measurement tons of cargo, out-
loaded in 193 shiploads by 109 ships." Although
Communists were beginning to press upon the de-
fending perimeter, the loading proceeded systemati-
cally. By 15 December the last of the 1st Marine
Division sailed for Pusan, where they were soon estab-
lished in a rest camp in the former bean field near
Masan.
The withdrawal from the Chinese trap was exe-
cuted against overwhelming odds: 12 Chinese Com-
munist divisions, subzero weather, and exceedingly
hazardous terrain. By skillful deployment of ground
forces and effectively integrated ground-air opera-
tions, the Division came through with tactical integ-
rity, its wounded properly evacuated and its service-
able material salvaged.14 Meanwhile the enemy had
been in large part rendered militarily noneffective and
the evacuation of X Corps from Hungnam rendered
possible. Military historians were quick to compare
the withdrawal to the famous "March of the 10,000"
described by Xenophon in his Anabasis. Weapons
and ideologies had changed; but relying on the same
indomitable courage, the same base of training and
discipline, and much the same infantry tactics, the
Marines like the Greeks before them successfully
fought their way through Asiatic hordes to the sea.16
The 1st Marine Division (reinforced) was awarded
a presidential unit citation for its heroic action during
the Chosan Reservoir campaign, covering specifically
the dates 27 November-11 December, from the
Yudam-ni crisis to the completion of the withdrawal
to Hamhung. This was the Division's second PUC
in the Korean War, its fifth since the award was first
established. The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing received
the Army Distinguished Unit Citation for the period
22 November-14 December 1950.
Operation Helping Hand
Worth special notice was the Navy's magnificent
job in providing transport for more than 90,000
Korean civilians to the relative safety of South Korea.
When the forces of the United Nations drove north-
ward, multitudes in the liberated areas had welcomed
them with great joy. The Christians among them,
many of whom had gone "underground," came out
of hiding and made themselves known. But when
the withdrawal began, all alike viewed with consterna-
tion and alarm the new situation which faced them.
To remain behind and come again under the Red
regime was tantamount to death for the Christian
leaders.
As the troops of X Corps withdrew into Hungnam,
they were followed by hordes of pitiful civilians who
were sometimes panicked by the Chinese Communists
harassing the rear guard of the Marine column. The
long bitter march by foot to Hungnam was marked
by miserable circumstances. Babies were born en
route. People were cold and hungry. Of necessity
the natives left behind most of their goods, taking
with them only the barest necessities. They crowded
into Hungnam expecting that the U.S. Navy would
take them to South Korea — and this the Navy did.
The first 50,000 were jammed into three Victory ships
and two LST's. "It became standard practice to
embark at least 5,000 on an LST, not counting chil-
dren in arms, and one ship set a record with 12,000." 16
Among the Navy chaplains especially active in help-
ing collect and evacuate the North Korean refugees
was 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Chaplain, John P.
Murphy. Later Chaplain Murphy was awarded the
Bronze Star. The citation mentions his work with the
native Christians at Wonsan, to which reference has
already been made, and then adds:
" Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. Ill, p. 345.
" Ibid., ch. XV.
'''Ibid., p. 357.
10 Marine Corps Gazette (December 1951 ) , p. 25, Lynn
Montross. "The Hungnam Evacuation."
47
When the evacuation of Wonsan and Hungnam became
necessary, he worked endless hours with military and civilian
agencies in planning and effecting a safe evacuation of
thousands of Christian North Koreans to a place of safety.
And so the United Nations Command saved not only
its troops and equipment but thousands of helpless
civilians as well.
In Time of Trouble
Northeast Korea had proved a peculiarly dangerous
and costly area of combat. As the closing months of
1950 saw steadily mounting casualty totals, chaplains
in ships were more and more engaged in ministering
solace to the wounded and honor to the dead. By
faithful performance as well as in word they pro-
claimed, "God is our refuge and strength, a very
present help in time of trouble."
Even before X Corps went ashore the fleet was
encountering serious difficulties — from mines, often
simply let loose upstream and floated into the sea.17
The first casualty was the destroyer BRUSH, on 26
September. Rendered instantly helpless, her bow a
full fathom low, much of the ship open to the sea,
her forward steering gear gone, BRUSH was taken
in tow and escorted 470 miles to Sasebo, Japan.
Thirteen men had been killed, 34 seriously wounded.
Chaplain Charles L. Dickey, in the WORCESTER,
wrote in his questionnaire reply:
We had 34 casualties aboard for the 3 days we were ac-
companying the BRUSH to Sasebo. I had prayers with
each man every day, and two yeomen to read and write
censored letters for each man.
Chaplain Edwin F. Carr, in the ROCHESTER,
flagship of Vice Admiral Struble's Joint Task Force
Seven, wrote concerning the minesweeping operations
at Wonsan, which had been a source of desperate con-
cern, so thickly and thoroughly had the enemy
planted mines there:
I consider all the activities performed by me under these
various headings [of the questionnaire] as merely routine.
However, celebrating Mass in a bombed-out warehouse in
Wonsan for the men who had given their lives on mine-
sweeps sunk by mines was impressive. [Their devotion]
remains to bear witness to our faith in freedom.
Without their sacrifice the landings could not have
been made; as it was, 15 days had been expended
and over 200 casualties sustained.
A happier story concerns the transfer of needed
medical supplies from the ROCHESTER to a small
Korean hospital in Wonsan. Employing Latin as a
medium, Chaplain Carr was able to act as "inter-
" Cagle and Manson, op. cit., pp. 130-146.
preter" between the ship's doctor and a Korean priest
representing the hospital. Thus a "dead" language
proved effective in helping sustain life in a time of
desperate trouble.
Transport chaplains had their hands full. Henry
F. Maxwell in the THOMAS JEFFERSON reported
serious casualties "flowing in a stream" to the trans-
ports immediately after the landings. Of the period
barely a month later, Chaplain Leonard B. Dohrmann
wrote :
During the November-December 1950 evacuation of
wounded from the Hungnam area, the BRECKENRIDGE
carried several loads to Yokohama. I assisted in loading
and caring for these wounded.
Chaplain Charles W. Adams recalled that his ship,
operating under MSTS, Pacific, ferried "shiploads"
of wounded to Yokosuka; he called it "round-the-
clock" duty.
And at Yokosuka? Charles W. Lawler, Roman
Catholic chaplain at the Naval Hospital there, later
wrote: "Over 3,000 casualties were admitted within
48 hours. The hospital grew from a 70-bed dispensary
to a hospital of about 5,000 beds." Charles H.
Shackelford, the Protestant chaplain, wrote that he
spent every Sunday afternoon and evening adminis-
tering Holy Communion to bed patients. "Often this
would continue up to 2130 or 2200, because of the
large number who wished to receive. . . ."
Chaplain J. E. Zoller was temporarily attached there
during the peak of the casualty load. He reported
that it was necessary in some wards to use double-deck
bunks, often placed so closely together that one had
to turn sideways to slide between them.
Many of the patients were not ambulatory and could not
attend chapel services. Most of them were fresh from the
combat zone. Many had not received the Sacrament for a
long time and desired to receive it. After consecrating the
elements in the chapel, I carried the chalice in my hand and
went to the wards to serve individual communions. I would
slide between two double-deck bunks and say to the four men
(two on each side) that I was a Protestant chaplain prepared
to serve communion to those who desired to receive it. The
response among the Protestant patients was almost unanimous.
Afterwards I would ask the men if they had any special
prayer requests . . . Many were suffering a great deal them-
selves, but in no case, not one, did a man ask prayer for him-
self. Most frequently it was requested for his buddies back
in the combat zone and occasionally for his loved ones at
home.
Back at Hungnam, as the last ships pulled offshore,
the dock area was set ablaze and destroyers shelled any-
thing that might be useful to the incoming Commu-
nists. One last fighter plane from the PRINCETON
48
circled overhead. A long column of ships turned
southward. Heading for home the pilot signaled the
MOUNT McKINLEY and they "exchanged
greetings." It was Christmas Eve.
First Korean Christmas
Writing to Chaplain Salisbury on 1 January 1951,
Division Chaplain Schwyhart reported that most of
the chaplains at Masan had been able to obtain squad
tents to be used as chapels. "On Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day," wrote Schwyhart, "a total of 71 serv-
ices were conducted by chaplains in the Division with
a total of 13,077 attending."
Chaplain William A. Rennie wrote of his Christmas
Eve service as follows :
At Masan, Korea, during the winter of 1950-51, the neigh-
boring Presbyterian church offered the use of its small sanc-
tuary for the Protestant worship services of the Medical Bn.
For the Christmas Eve service, one of the Catholic corpsmen
volunteered to create a manger-scene tableau with about 10
of the children of the church. Everything went off fine, as by
candlelight, with the Korean congregation as our guests, the
choir sang "Silent Night'' and the life-like tableau was posed
in a corner of the church. Corpsmen and Marines placed
their gifts at the foot of the cradled-babe. A very effective
service of worship and dedication was the result.
Incidentally, a few days later, the pastor of the church, in
order to show the appreciation of his people for the gifts given
to the church, presented me with about 180 pounds of roasted
peanuts for the "church men and sick patients."
Chaplain B. C. Howland, in his reply to the ques-
tionnaire, commented as follows on his memories of
that first Christmas in Korea:
I believe our regiment was one of the first to raise money
for a Korean church. On Christmas Sunday in our rest
camp area at Masan both Chaplain Parsons and myself made
an appeal to the men to help out the Presbyterian church
which was doing such a good work. The results were heart-
ening to both of us chaplains.
Christmas Mass, Masan.
Catholic marines attend mass in the 50th Marine Regiment area on Christmas Day at Masan.
— 49
Attending a Korean children's Christmas party is one of
the experiences that will linger long in my memory. After
we had raised the money on Christmas Sunday I took it to
the Korean pastor. Through an interpreter he conveyed his
gi of gratitude and requested that I attend the party
on Christmas day. With me went one officer and three en-
listed men and never in that big Sunday School room have
we ever seen such a mass of young humanity packed like
sardines together. The children sang the carols that we all
knew and there were recitations as well, but when we came
in there was a special greeting in song from the children to
us, as they seemed to sense that we were their friends who
would help them as much as we could.
I found that these Christian friends of ours were ready to
reciprocate in whatever manner they could. Because I felt
that it would be a fine idea to have organ music at the serv-
ices, and there being an organist in our regiment, I conveyed
that idea to a Korean resident and member of the Presbyte-
rian church. He immediately made arrangements through
a music teacher in the city to borrow an organ.
Chaplain Howland also reported an interest in
Bible study and discussion groups. "In the rest camp
at Masan New Testaments were greatly in demand,"
he wrote. "I would go from one tent to another and
always I had no trouble getting rid of the Testaments
I carried. Many a religious discussion went on in
those tents and I was able to take part in the
discussion."
Nor were chaplains in the ships less busy. Chap-
lain O. B. Salyer wrote that he organized Christmas
caroling throughout the BADOENG STRAIT on
Christmas Eve, with proper religious observance of
the holy day. His usual routine, besides Sunday serv-
ices, included daily morning prayers and Scripture
reading in the ship's library, just after securing from
morning quarters. Each Wednesday evening a study
and discussion group met in the library.
Chaplain John R. Thomas, a Reserve returned to
active duty, was assigned to Destroyer Squadron
Seven, operating off Korea. In his questionnaire re-
ply Chaplain Thomas wrote :
I served under at least 12 different destroyer captains and
4 division and squadron commanders. Attitudes of all except
one destroyer commander made it possible for evening prayers
underway on the ship's intercom system. The squadron
commander enabled us to broadcast the Christmas Eve serv-
ice to all the destroyers in the carrier screen off East Korea,
Christmas, 1950.
Concerning this same Christmas Chaplain Wylie R.
Bryant, Presbyterian (Cumb.) , one of the many chap-
lains assigned to Military Sea Transport Service, North
Pacific Subarea, wrote as follows:
During the days we sat offshore at Inchon there were no
passengers aboard, so we invited 80 soldiers aboard the ship
on Christmas 1950. The crew and military department of
the ship decided to forego their Christmas dinner that these
Christmas Mass on Hospital Ship.
Chaplain C. E. Karnasicwicz conducts Christmas mass and directs the choir aboard the REPOSE.
50
men might enjoy a day of rest and entertainment. Christ-
mas services were conducted, and afterward a movie was
given for them.
Bryant was serving at the time in the USNS MARINE
ADDER. Such were chartered ships operated by
the civilian merchant marine, with a military depart-
ment to supervise and look after the needs of military
personnel (and in peacetime, dependents) being
transported therein.
The season which for Christians commemorates
God's gift of Himself in Jesus Christ seemed naturally
to suggest, even to men caught in the toils of war, the
wish to do something for others. A choir of crewmen
from the ELDORADO, an amphibious command
ship, went aboard the HAVEN to sing Christmas
carols in the wards. ELDORADO, as flagship of
Commander Amphibious Group Three, had partici-
pated in both the Inchon and Wonsan landings; her
chaplain at the time was Richard J. Holmes, Roman
Catholic.
Chaplain Zoller wrote, concerning Christmas Day
in the Yokosuka hospital, as follows:
After an afternoon of celebrations and parties throughout
the hospital, I took my accordion and went to the ward for
paraplegics and multiple amputees After playing casually
for a while, the men began requesting and singing Christmas
carols, then folksongs, campfire favorites, spirituals, and
hymns.
Just after taps I stood beside the bed of a young man not
yet 20 year^ of age. I wondered how he kept the smile on
his face. Both feet had been amputated, and all the fingers
on each hand. He was in constant pain. . . .
"Chaplain," he said, "could you play 'The Old Rugged
Cross'?"
Then followed a request for "Rock of Ages."
When I finished playing, he was asleep, with the trace of
a smile still on his face. As I left the ward, nearly everyone
was sleeping. At the office the nurse motioned me inside.
"Chaplain," she said, "those quiet hymns did more to re-
lax these men than any medicine. Thank you."
In Keeping With the Highest
The withdrawal from the Chinese trap could not
have been effected without close air support furnished
by Navy and Marine pilots. During the first stage
of the redeployment, on 4 December, when LEYTE
planes were supporting the Marines at Hagaru-ri,
there occurred an awe-inspiring act of heroism.1^
Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the Navy's first Negro pilot,
was forced to make an emergency landing 5 miles be-
hind enemy lines. Circling pilots could see that
Brown was alive but apparently unable to extricate
himself from the plane's slowly burning wreckage.
™ Ibid., pp. 1 76f.
With darkness approaching and in near-zero weather,
Lt. (j.g. ) Thomas J. Hudner successfully landed his
plane nearby. Finding it impossible to extricate the
injured pilot, he radioed for cutting instruments and
a helicopter, and then using snow extinguished the
flames. The rescue 'copter arrived quickly, but
Brown died before he could be freed from the wreck-
age. For his act of selfless devotion Navy pilot Hud-
ner was subsequently presented our nation's highest
military decoration, the Congressional Medal of
Honor.
Among the chaplains commended during this time,
three were serving on carriers. Both the Protestant
and Roman Catholic chaplains, C. A. Frame and C. A.
Szczesny, in the LEYTE were awarded the Letter of
Commendation with Combat "V" for meritorious
service during air operations against the enemy from
8 October 1950 to 19 January 1951. For his service
from 5 August 1950 to 9 January 1951 in the BA-
DOENG STRAIT Chaplain O. B. Salyer was also
honored with the Letter of Commendation award.
Chaplain George W. Cummins, of Marine Aircraft
Group 12, located first at Wonsan and then at Yong-
po, was cited for the period 12 October-22 December
1950. At Wonsan, volunteering his services as a
member of an atrocity investigation team, Cummins
had spent many hours in guerrilla-infested area help-
ing ascertain facts concerning this dreadful aspect of
man's inhumanity to man. Cummins' citation men-
tions, in addition, his work during the redeployment
to Hungnam.
During this period of daily air evacuation of casualties
from the Koto-ri airstrip, he maintained a constant vigil at
the unloading point, giving unstintedly of his time and atten-
tion to the wounded.
He was awarded the Bronze Star.
During the first 6 months of military operations in
Korea, 21 Navy chaplains had won 28 awards, in-
cluding 5 Purple Hearts. Fifteen of the twenty-eight
chaplains attached to the 1st Marine Division were
recipients of an award — a remarkably high percent-
age. The record is even more impressive when we
remember that some of the other chaplains received
awards in later actions. In addition to those serving
with the 1st Division, three chaplains attached to car-
riers (Frame, Szczesny, and Salyer) and three chap-
lains with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (Markley,
Murphy, and Cummins) were also thus honored.
An analysis of the awards granted shows that 5
chaplains received the Purple Heart: 2, the Legion
of Merit: 3, the Silver Star (including 1 from the
.-,:;.-,:::>.;> o— 60-
51
Army) ; 12, the Bronze Star (including 1 from the
Army) ; and 7, Letters of Commendation. Seven
chaplains, including of course each of the 5 who were
wounded, received two awards each. Such recog-
nition speaks eloquently of their faithfulness and devo-
tion. Official citations become formalized in lan-
guage; yet the words with which many of them close
are rich in meaning . . . "in keeping with the high-
est traditions of the Chaplain Corps and of the Naval
Service".
That those traditions are characterized by unassail-
able integrity is in no small part due to the ministry
of those clergymen in uniform who through the years
have kept faith with God and their fellows. After
the deliverance from Hungnam 19 one chaplain who
had seen action in World War II preached a thanks-
giving sermon on the text from Psalm 116:
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of
hell got hold upon me : I found sorrow and trouble.
Then called I upon the name of the Lord ; O Lord, I be-
seech thee, deliver my soul. . . .
Return unto thy rest, O my soul ; for the Lord hath dealt
bountifully with thee.
For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes
from tears, and my feet from falling.
A ministry inspired by such a faith can but command
the gratitude and respect of thoughtful men. Of it
one may say, simply, "In keeping with the Highest."
At Masan the battle-weary Marines spent several
weeks recuperating and integrating newly arrived re-
inforcements. On 31 December the Division passed
from X Corps to 8th Army control and was assigned
to the Pohangdong area for possible future commit-
ment.
Enemy High Tide
Meanwhile General MacArthur had found it nec-
essary to withdraw the 8th Army from north of the
38th Parallel in the west.20 As 1950 drew to a close
he was trying to establish a line of defense along the
parallel. On 23 December Lt. Gen. Walton H.
Walker was killed in a traffic accident and was re-
placed on 26 December by Lt. Gen. Matthew B.
"Marine Corps Gazette (December 1953), p. 21, D. D.
Nicholson, Jr., "Their Faith Is Yours."
20 See Korea, 1950 (Department of the Army), ch. V,
esp. pp. 229-232. Also John Miller, Jr., Owen J. Carroll,
and Margaret E. Tackley, Korea, 1951-53 (Department of
the Army: Office of the Chief of Military History, 1956),
ch. I.
Ridgway. On 30 December MacArthur warned the
Joint Chiefs of Staff that the Chinese forces were
capable of driving the United Nations out of Korea
altogether. To General Ridgway, MacArthur gave
complete authority over operations in Korea, passing
on the orders of the Joint Chiefs to withdraw if nec-
essary, while inflicting maximum damage on the
enemy consistent with keeping his own units intact.
After a night of artillery bombardment the Com-
munist forces opened an attack all along the line at
daybreak on New Year's Day, 1951. The UN forces
were driven back some 70 miles below the 38th Paral-
lel. Inchon, Kimpo airfield, and Seoul fell again to
the enemy. On 13 January the 1st Marine Division
was ordered to protect the city of Andong, northeast
of Taegu, with the two adjoining airstrips, from fur-
ther southward penetration of the Communists. In
the 2-week engagement that followed the Division re-
ported 1 1 killed and 45 wounded, all these casualties
having been suffered by the 7th Marines.
Clearly the enemy was not capable of following up
his punch ; he had outrun his supply lines. His pres-
sure now diminished, and reconnaisance patrols indi-
cated deep areas forward of the UN defensive posi-
tions in which no Chinese or North Koreans were to
be found.
Below this line there were, however, constant con-
tacts with guerrilla bands, North Koreans who had
been left behind when their Army had retreated to
the north in the autumn, or others who had infil-
trated into the south in order to harass the United Na-
tions forces. Units of the 1st Marine Division had
been engaged in helping suppress these irregular ac-
tivities shortly after the Division reached Masan.21
During most of January and the first half of February
they would be largely occupied fighting the guerrillas.
As the period here under review came to an end,
the feeling became general that the situation was now
less desperate. Gen. J. Lawton Collins, Army Chief
of Staff, in Korea on an inspection tour, announced
to correspondents the intention of the United Nations
Command to stay and fight. Eighth Army, he noti-
fied Washington, could handle the new threat pre-
sented by the Chinese intervention. There was no
longer any question of evacuating Korea.
J1 Marine Corps Gazette (January 1952), Lynn Montross,
"The Pohang Guerrilla Hunt."
52
CHAPTER 4
FIRST UNITED NATIONS COUNTEROFFENSIVE
25 January-21 April 1951
The changing fortunes of the contending armies in
Korea during the early months of the war have been
likened to the swinging of a giant pendulum. At first
the hard-smashing North Korean People's Army over-
ran the South Koreans and then, the U.S. Army
troops were hurriedly thrown into the breach. The
only free territory remaining late in August 1950 was
that contained within the Pusan Perimeter. With the
arrival of United Nations reinforcements the pendu-
lum began to swing in the other direction.
The North Koreans suffered a humiliating defeat
in the Inchon-Seoul operation and during the succeed-
ing weeks, as 8th Army forces pounded their way out
of the Pusan Perimeter northward toward Seoul, link-
ing up with X Corps on 26 September. When the
NKPA refused to surrender, the fateful decision was
taken by General MacArthur to strike above the 38th
Parallel. On 1 October ROK units crossed the Par-
allel on the east coast. In the west a multination
force drove north and secured the North Korean
capital of Pyongyang. On 26 October the ROK 6th
Division had the distinction of being the first UN unit
to reach the Manchurian border, near Chosan, in the
northwest. For a short time it looked as though all
North Korea would be brought under the jurisdiction
of the United Nations.
The entry of the Chinese Communists into the con-
flict injected a new factor which caused the pendulum
to swing in reverse direction. United Nations forces
suffered a disastrous setback toward the close of
November and early in December. Separated by pre-
cipitous mountains when struck by the Chinese, both
8th Army and X Corps were forced to retreat. The
New Year's offensive launched by the Communists
forced a further withdrawal, and for a time the United
Nations bid to support the Republic of Korea against
unwarranted attack seemed frustrated.1
United Nations Counteroffensive
On 25 January the pendulum began swinging north-
ward once again, as General Ridgway put in motion
Operation Thunderbolt, a cautious and methodical
advance all along the UN line, designed to clean out
the enemy ridge by ridge, phase line by phase line.2
Meanwhile, still in the south, the 1st Marine Division
was ordered to the Palgong-San area on 31 January
to clean up remnants of the North Korean 10th Divi-
sion. Air support proved particularly effective during
"Thunderbolt," and naval bombardment along the
west coast included the massive firepower of the
"Mighty Mo," the battleship MISSOURI. By 10
February the 25th Army Division had secured Inchon
and Kimpo airfield; but so great destruction had been
wrought in January by the evacuating UN forces that
several months elapsed before either was fully opera-
tional again.
On 16 February the 1st Marine Division, relieved of
its antiguerrilla mission, began moving into the
Chunjo sector, the lower end of the vertical Wonju-
Hoengsong-Hongchon axis in central Korea.3 The
Division was made part of IX Corps, commanded by
Maj. Gen. Bryant E. Moore, which included be-
sides, the 24th Infantry Division, the 1st Cavalry Divi-
sion, the ROK 6th Division, and the 27th British
Commonwealth Brigade.
' When Ridgway assumed command of the U.S. 8th Army,
MacArthur relinquished personal supervision of 8th Army
and X Corps. X Corps was now incorporated into 8th Army,
so that the 8th Army commander controlled all ground forces
in Korea. The largest unit was the ROK Army, under
Ridgway's control but not part of 8th Army. To 8th Army
were attached certain Air Force, Marine Corps, and United
Nations units. Ridgway commanded at this time about
365,000 troops. So far 15 members of the UN had con-
tributed combat forces: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France,
Greece, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines,
South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the United King-
dom, and the United States. See Miller et al., op. cit., p. 4.
: Ibid., ch. II.esp. pp. 13ff.
3 Marine Corps Gazette (February 1952), p. 31, Lynn
Montross "Buttoning up the Offensive: The Marines in
Operation Killer."
— 53
54-
On 2 1 February, to deny the enemy a chance to re-
organize, another general advance was initiated,
dubbed Operation Killer.4 The Marines secured their
initial objective, the high ground overlooking Hoeng-
song, on 24 February; but advance was slow every-
where along the line. The weather was still cold,
with occasional snow and extensive rain. The begin-
ning of the thaw was turning ravines into raging
torrents and paddies into beds of slime. Terrain and
weather were as troublesome as the enemy. There
were no roads worth the name. Nevertheless the UN
offensive kept moving, and by March first the Com-
munist breakout had been largely repulsed. "Killer"
came to an end on 4 March, with the Marines solidly
entrenched on phase line "Arizona," a string of five
hills north of Hoengsong. The entire area south of
the Han River was again in United Nations control.
A stable line lying about halfway between the 37th
and 38th parallels began at Inchon, moved along the
Han, then ran north of Hoengsong, and so northeast-
ward out to Kangnung on the east coast.
"Operation Ripper"
A new advance, Operation Ripper, began on 7
March, the purpose of which was primarily to keep
the enemy under such pressure as to prevent his re-
grouping for a counteroffensive.5 Again and again
General Ridgway insisted that gaining ground was
secondary to the destruction of Chinese Communist
personnel and equipment. With I Corps and the
ROK Army holding the left and right flanks, respec-
tively, IX and X Corps, the former including the 1st
Marine Division, slugged slowly forward in the center
against stubborn opposition, the enemy taking advan-
tage of the precipitous slopes and lack of roads to hold
on as long as possible before pulling back. On 14
March elements of I Corps reentered Seoul and the
Republic of Korea flag was hoisted again over the
National Assembly building.
The Communists now began to pull back all along
the line, fighting only delaying actions. The 7th Ma-
rines entered the important communication center of
Hongchon without a fight. The enemy's object was
to reorganize a line just north of the 38th Parallel,
based on fortifications apparently constructed before
the initial invasion of South Korea in 1950.6 The
4 Miller et al., op. cit., pp. 18f. Also Lynn Montross,
"Buttoning up the Offensive: The Marines in Operation
Killer," Marine Corps Gazette (February 1952).
"Marine Corps Gazette (March 1952), Lynn Montross,
''Advance to the 38th Parallel: The Marines in Operation
Ripper". Also Miller et al., op. cit., ch. Ill, esp. pp. 2 Iff.
* Miller et al., op. cit., pp. 24ff.
central anchor of this line, dug into rock and protected
by log and concrete reinforcement, was the area
bounded by Chorwon, Kumha, and Pyonggang. Here,
in what became known as the "Iron Triangle," lay the
hub of protection for the North Korean communica-
tion and supply network.
Clearly the enemy was preparing to regroup. That
he would be ready for a spring advance, with at least
some air potential, was clear from intelligence reports.
The UN units were by now up against the Parallel
again. Thinking it better to keep his advantage,
Ridgway, as the responsible field commander, ordered
his forces toward the so-called Kansas line, north of
the 38th. On 4 April the Marines were among the
first UN troops to cross the Parallel. Phase line
"Kansas" had been reached by 9 April everywhere ex-
cept in the center.
On 11 April 1951 General MacArthur was relieved
of his command by the Commander-in-Chief, Presi-
dent Harry S. Truman, and replaced by General Ridg-
way.7 Lt. Gen. James A. Van Fleet, Ridgeway's
successor as 8th Army commander, ordered the tactics
already in operation to continue. The advance con-
tinued toward phase line "Utah," and by 21 April UN
forces were up against Chorwon, the southwestern
pivot of the Iron Triangle. Van Fleet's line now began
on the west coast near Kyodong, several miles above
Inchon, moved sharply northward in a 45° angle to
Chorwon, nearly 40 miles above the Parallel, and then
eastward in an irregular line which skirted the
Hwachon Reservoir and continued on to the east coast.
Along this line forces of the United Nations were to
meet the unleashed fury of the Communist counter-
attack.
Rotation System
Beginning in December 1950 the Bureau of Naval
Personnel instituted a system of rotation for chaplains
serving with Marines in Korea. All who had had 6 to
8 months of duty during the extremely difficult and
hazardous opening months of the war were to be or-
dered back stateside. The first to be relieved under
the rotation system were the chaplains who had landed
at Pusan with the Provisional Brigade. The first re-
placements reported for duty on 7 January 1 95 1 .
Chaplain Ingvoldstad, Regimental Chaplain of the
5th Marines, was relieved by Chaplain Verner N. Carl-
sen, who reported on 7 January. Ingvoldstad was
ordered to the faculty of the newly reestablished Chap-
7 See M. B. Ridgway, Soldier: The Memoirs of Matthew B.
Ridgway (New York, 1956), p. 220 and ch. 27. For Ridg-
way's account of his months as 8th Army commander, see chs.
23 and following.
55
lain School, located at Newport, R.I. He was the first
of the chaplains who had seen duty in Korea to be
assigned to the school.
Previously, in October 1950, Chaplain W. N. Lyons,
already attached to the Division, had relieved Glyn
Jones as Regimental Chaplain, 1st Marines, when
Jones was ordered to the Personnel Distribution desk
in the Chaplains Division. Chaplain Leslie L. O'Con-
nor, reporting on 1 3 January, now relieved Craven as
Regimental Chaplain, 7th Marines; Craven reported
for duty in the Chaplains Division, in charge of the
Ecclesiastical Relations desk. Chaplain Joseph C.
Fitzgerald, who reported 14 January, followed Sporrer
as Regimental Chaplain of the 11th Marines. Other
chaplains reporting during this first major rotation
were John M. Quirk (7 January), Solomon K. John-
son (14 January), George C. Bingaman and Howard
E. Waters ( both on 1 7 January ) .
Division Chaplain R. M. Schwyhart was having
personnel problems. Chaplain Preston D. Parsons,
after a jeep accident on 20 January, was evacuated to
Japan. Within 9 days all three chaplains in the 11th
Marines (Sporrer, Howland, and Parsons) had been
changed. Chaplain Van Antwerp was hospitalized
after being wounded on 26 January. On 5 February
Chaplain Carlsen was evacuated to Yokosuka after a
flareup of peptic ulcers. On 6 February Chaplain
Killeen was flown from the 1st Marines area to Divi-
sion Hospital for an emergency appendectomy. Re-
porting all these moves, Schwyhart added :
It does seem that we have chaplain difficulties: two in the
hospital and another evacuated within a period of 12 days.
I have been keeping in close communication with all other
chaplains, by jeep, telephone, and radio, and am glad to report
that all is well with them. On Monday, 5 February, I went
by plane to Masan to check on some items at our Adminis-
trative Rear Echelon and to see Chaplains Ham, Engle, and
Bingaman, whom I hadn't seen for 3 weeks, since my move
north.
Chaplain Francis W. Kelly, who had served tours of
duty with the 1st and 2d Marine Divisions during
World War II, receiving the Legion of Merit for
heroism in combat, was ordered as the relief of Schwy-
hart as the Division Chaplain. Chaplain Kelly had
performed exceptional service with the Marines in the
battles of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Okinawa. His
courage and closeness to the fighting men was depicted
in the movie Guadalcanal Diary, with the well-known
actor Preston Foster portraying Chaplain Kelly. In
The Marines Take Tarawa, a Marine Corps docu-
mentary movie, Chaplain Kelly himself plays one of the
principal roles. Kelly had been released to inactive
duty in July 1946 but returned to active duty 4 years
later when the Korean hostilities began. Before going
to Korea, he served with the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing
at Cherry Point, N.C. Because of his distinguished
service with the Marines, he was sometimes known as
the "Fighting Padre." Kelly relieved Schwyhart on
20 February 1951.
Other replacements were gradually made during the
spring months of 195 J so that by June a complete
turnover of chaplains attached to the 1st Marine Divi-
sion had been completed. After the front line became
more stabilized, the tour of duty for chaplains serving
with Marines in Korea would be extended to 10 months
and finally to a year. Following the Korean Armistice,
the duty was lengthened from 12 to 15 months.
Corps Expansion
The expansion of the Nation's Armed Forces neces-
sitated by the continuing war naturally made great
demands on the Chaplain Corps. It was Chief of
Chaplains S. W. Salisbury's policy to meet the need
for more personnel through a voluntary and selective
recall of chaplains in the Inactive Reserve.
Chaplains desiring to offer their services submitted
a request for active duty orders to the Chief of Naval
Personnel. A selection board consisting of both of-
ficers of the line and members of the Chaplains Di-
vision reviewed their jackets, taking into consideration
each applicant's record, as well as age, rank, and
denomination. A chaplain was then either ordered to
active duty or else placed in category II, the latter
making him available in the event of total mobiliza-
tion.
As always the needs of the service determined selec-
tion. In the nature of the case, the chaplains in the
Reserve tended to fall into the higher grades, whereas
the need was for younger men in the rank of lieutenant
and lieutenant (junior grade). Denominational dis-
tribution also naturally entered into the picture. Each
applicant was advised that the necessary ecclesiastical
endorsement was the individual's responsibility; and it
proved necessary to warn applicants not to give up
their civilian positions or otherwise make plans for
entering upon active duty until officially notified by
the Bureau of having been accepted.
The Navy Chaplains Bulletin (spring-summer,
1951) carried a summary of the chaplain personnel
distribution picture. As of 15 April the Corps had
743 allowances and 608 chaplains on active duty. Al-
though 8 percent was allowed for contingent unavail-
ability (chaplains in transit, on sick list, etc.), the ac-
tual figure was proving nearer 12 percent, because of
casualties in combat, a high rate of sickness among
56 —
chaplains, partly due to overwork, and the long travel
time to and from the theater of war.
Because activities in the combat area had priority
for personnel, other activities suffered correspond-
ingly. Allowances in certain types of ships were given
up altogether; the optimum in training activities was
75 percent of allowance.
The rotation of chaplains in combat of course af-
fected rotation throughout the Corps. Normal tours
of continental shore duty were shortened by as much
as 3 to 6 months, that at overseas bases correspond-
ingly lengthened. On change-of-duty orders, 10 days
leave was normally granted chaplains returning from
sea-and-foreign-shore duty, 5 days for all leaving con-
tinental shore duty. All chaplains were advised to
take such leave as might be possible aboard a duty
station.
The Chief of Chaplains commended the way in
which all hands were meeting the emergency and
hoped that the policies then in operation would be
sufficient to expand the Corps to meet the need with-
out further undue strain upon the personnel already
involved.
New Division Chaplain
Chaplain Schwyhart wrote to the Chief of Chap-
lains on 16 February 1951 :
On the eve of Chaplain Kelly's arrival and my detachment,
I want to state that it has been a privilege to have served as
Division Chaplain during this time. It has been no sine-
cure ; rather very strenuous but at the same time rewarding.
The chaplains in the Division have performed their duties
in a traditionally excellent manner and it has been a privilege
for me to coordinate our mutual efforts.
In the same letter he reported that Van Antwerp was
about ready to return to duty, that Killeen had had to
be evacuated, and that replacements were needed for
Van Antwerp, William Hearn, Reilly, and Lyons, in
that order.
A copy was enclosed of the Standing Operating Pro-
cedure for the Chaplains Section of a Marine Division
which had been submitted through Force Chaplain
Kenneth D. Perkins to Fleet Marine Force, Pacific
with recommendation for adoption. s
8 For examples of a Standing Operating Procedure see app.
C (Fleet Marine Force, Pacific) and app. D (1st Marine
Division) .
Chaplain Robert M. Schwyhart receives Bronze Star Medal from Maj. Gen.
Division.
O. P. Smith, commanding the 1st Marine
— 57 —
On 11 March the new Division Chaplain, F. W.
Kelly, reported to the Chaplains Division the recent
arrival of Chaplains Joseph D. McDonald, Henry E.
Austin, and Henry H. Hayes. Chaplain O'Connor,
Regimental Chaplain, 7th Marines had been evacu-
ated because of illness. Kelly continued:
At present our 1st and 7th regiments are moving forward,
with the 5th ready in reserve. [This was during Operation
Ripper.] Our CP [command post] moves right along be-
hind. Since we are in possible artillery range, we must wear
helmets at all times, and black out at nights. The rest of
the Division is strung back as far as Masan. I feel that it is
better for me to be in this forward CP where I can be in
contact with the regiments, rather than in the rear where I
would be out of contact except by dispatch.
Later in March Kelly reported that Chaplain
Joseph P. Trodd had reported on the 15th. Having
advised some of the chaplains about due for rotation
that dispatches had been received on their reliefs, he
reported that one looked at him "like a fairy god-
father who waved a magic wand." The rotation
plan, he added, was having a "fine effect on the mo-
rale of the chaplains."
Kelly submitted the following roster on 31 March
1951.
Headquarters Bn F. W. Kelly
Garson Goodman
H. H. Hayes
Motor Transport Bn J. P. Trodd
Ordnance Bn Garson Goodman
Engineer Bn K. M. Hearn
Shore Party Bn K. d'A Engle
Tank Bn W. M. Hearn
Amphibious Tractor Bn G. C. Bingaman
Service Bn A. J. Juntunen
1st Marines J. D. McDonald.
C. S. Pigott
H. E. Austin
5th Marines L. R. Phillips ....
J. M. Quirk
S. K. Johnson
7th Marines J. S. Ferris
E. I. Van Antwerp
R. L. Patton
1 1 th Marines J. C. Fitzgerald
H. H. Groover . .
H. E. Waters
Medical Bn G. J. Reilly
W. A. Rennie
Combat Service Group W. N. Lyons
CDR
RC
LTJG
JEWISH
LTJG
DISC
LT
RC
(TAD from Headquarters
Bn)
LT
METH
LTJG
PE
LTJG
BAP (A)
LTJG
EVAN & REF
LT
LUTH
LCDR
RC
LTJG
BAP (S)
LT
BAP (A)
LT
CONG
LT
RC
LT
PRESBY (US,
LT
METH
LT
RC
LTJG
METH
LCDR
RC
LTJG
DISC
LTJG
BAP (S)
LT
RC
LT
METH
LCDR
BAP (A)
Chaplain Field Training
Chaplain James S. Ferris, reporting on 30 March,
had informed Kelly that all chaplains ordered to the
1st Division were now being routed via Marine Bar-
racks, Camp Pendleton, Calif., for indoctrination and
training. Camp Chaplain J. Floyd Dreith later re-
ported on this program. " 'Last stop before Korea'
is the phrase applied to Pendleton not only by the
thousands of men sent out regularly as replacements
for the 1st Marine Division but also by the chaplains
going out to bring spiritual enlightenment, comfort
and courage to those men."
Marine Corps organization, procedure, and nomen-
clature, official and slang, were studied so that the
chaplain might know his way around. Refresher
courses in first aid and conferences with medical
officers suggested ways that chaplains could be of the
greatest possible service in working with casualties.
And not least, there was rigorous physical training,
"lest the hills of Korea prove too much for an in-
adequate flesh no matter how willing the spirit."
Most important, the chaplain was trained in ways
to render the most effective spiritual ministry. He
was reminded that he would have a minimum theo-
58
logical library. Sermons, he was told, must eventually
result from the hammering of actual experience with
men in combat upon the anvil of one's own spiritual
life. The chaplain was supplied with a compact
Communion kit, told what supplies would be avail-
able to him in Korea, and advised not to burden him-
self with too much equipment in any case. One
chaplain had written back to Dreith :
I packed my pack and set out on Saturday morning to
hold services in the 2d Battalion the following day. For
8 days we climbed hills, each one a little steeper than its
predecessor; I finally held my service one week later. I
suggest that a chaplain take along as many hymnals as he
can conveniently carry for 8 days up rugged mountains, in
addition of course to a 60 pound pack.
Chaplains Wounded
Two chaplains — Eugene I. Van Antwerp and
Charles S. Pigott — were wounded in action during the
4th Korean campaign. Van Antwerp received a
flesh wound as the result of enemy mortar fire on 26
January. He was flown back to the Division Hos-
pital by helicopter where he received treatment.
Chaplain Schwyhart, reporting to the Chaplains Di-
vision in a letter dated 1 February 1951, stated:
The doctors advised that he would be ready for a return
to duty in about 10 days. Chaplain Van Antwerp strongly
desires to return to his 7th Marines. Our chaplains become
extremely devoted to their units.
Chaplain Van Antwerp was awarded the Bronze
Star for heroism while under fire in an engagement
which began 20 January and included the period up
to the time of his being wounded on the 26th. This
occurred during the Division's antiguerrilla mission.
His citation reads in part as follows:
On one occasion, when a rifle company on patrol in the
vicinity of Chiso-dong, Korea, encountered a numerically
superior enemy force and was held up by intense small arms
and automatic weapons fire, with complete disregard for
his own personal safety he voluntarily moved forward of
the front lines, over open terrain, in order to rescue a
wounded Marine. Throughout the entire action, he worked
tirelessly and fearlessly in assisting in the treatment of
wounded Marines until he was seriously wounded by enemy
fire and had to be evacuated.
Chaplain Charles S. Pigott received a slight wound
in the hand on 7 March. He was not incapacitated
for duty. Chaplain Pigott later received a Letter of
Commendation "for excellent service in the line of
his profession while serving as Chaplain with a Marine
infantry battalion during operations against the enemy
in Korea from 2 January to 10 May 1951."
Chaplains Cited
Three other chaplains were awarded citations dur-
ing this campaign. Chaplain Henry E. Austin was
honored with the Bronze Star and Chaplains Paul J.
Knapp and Abner C. Cook with Letters of
Commendation.
Chaplain Austin served with the 2d Battalion, 1st
Marines at the front line in the central sector of Korea
north of Wonju from 3 March to 4 April, when the
Division was engaged in Operations Killer and Ripper.
In his report to the Regimental Chaplain following
this duty Chaplain Austin described in some detail
the nature of his work. This account may be taken
as typical of the activities of all Navy chaplains who
lived up to the ideals and traditions of the Chaplain
Corps while serving in Korea under combat condi-
tions. Austin wrote:
The chaplain's zone of action was the battalion aid station,
and at times our battalion aid station was as close as 20 yards
from the fighting, and occasionally under fire. Since joining
this battalion, I can sincerely say that none of our wounded
has left the front without being seen by a chaplain. Through-
out this portion of time, the 2d Bn had 102 men wounded in
action, three of whom died as a result of wounds. In addi-
tion five men were killed in action. In four out of the eight
deaths. I was able to hold a closing prayer before the men
died (two Catholic and two Protestant prayers).
On 1 1 March, the 2d Bn "kicked off" on a forward push
which was to take the men in various rifle companies on
a ridge-hopping maneuver of anywhere from 50 to 65 miles
up and down the steepest and most rugged terrain I have ever
walked, much less carried a full pack. At night we were all
so tired that we were just able to dig our "foxholes" before
"hitting the rack." Suffice it is to say, the terrain was
"terrific" !
On the afternoon and evening of 15 March, the
battalion was under heavy fire. Chaplain Austin
assisted the doctors and corpsmen in the evacuation
and care of the wounded. "On that night," he re-
ported, "it was impossible to evacuate two men . . .
who were seriously wounded in the leg and groin by
mortar fire. In both cases I helped Dr. Dow admin-
ister serum albumen, in addition to trying to give
spiritual comfort to men who were obviously dying."
He also helped in the evacuation of 47 wounded men
that day by helicopters, "which acted as 'Angels of
Mercy' ".
Carrying his violin with him to provide music,
Austin managed during a month of most adverse
conditions to hold 20 services, with an attendance of
1,710, and 290 receiving communion. In addition the
chaplain reported 33 "decisions for Christ" and 14
baptisms.
Men travel many avenues to God; in the extremi-
ties of human experience some draw near to Him
through fear. In the face of imminent death, the
— 59
Special Music.
A quintet of marines add to the worship service which is conducted by Chaplain Henry E. Austin out of doors.
values of life may stand out in clearer perspective.
Some men, indifferent to other evangelical appeal,
respond under circumstances when even the bravest
are not ashamed to admit they are afraid. In any
case men are likely to be more responsive to the min-
istry of a man of God who is sharing their own ex-
periences. Whatever may be the final truth concern-
ing "combat conversion," there can be little doubt
that the combat chaplain is in a position to influence
many who would hardly otherwise come within reach
of a religious ministry.
Chaplain Austin was awarded the Bronze Star "for
meritorious achievement in connection with opera-
tions against the enemy while serving with a Marine
infantry battalion in Korea from 19 March 1951 to
4 April 1951." The citation continues in part:
Serving as battalion chaplain, Lieutenant Austin con-
sistently displayed outstanding courage and devotion to duty
in ministering to the spiritual needs of the officers and men
of the battalion. Frequently exposing himself without re-
gard for his personal safety to intense enemy mortar, artil-
lery, automatic weapons and small arms fire, he moved fear-
lessly with forward elements of the battalion in order to
better perform his duties.
The two chaplains serving aboard the VALLEY
FORGE received the Letter of Commendation for
combat service in Korean waters for the period 25
June 1950 to 22 March 1951. Paul J. Knapp, the
Roman Catholic chaplain, received a citation which
states in part :
By his determination to make divine services and instruc-
tions available at all times of the day or night to the Catholic
personnel, he rendered invaluable support to the high morale
of that ship. The crew of his ship and its air group were
inspired to accomplish greater achievements by his untiring
devotion to the objectives of uplifting men's spirits and
morale; thus, he contributed immeasurably to the successful
conclusion of the ship's mission.
60
Baptism.
A Marine is baptized by Chaplain Solomon K. Johnson dur-
ing a lull in the Korean fighting.
Abner R. Cook, senior chaplain aboard the VAL-
LEY FORGE and a Protestant, was likewise com-
mended for meritorious service. His citation reads in
part:
Devoting himself with energy and tenacity to all phases
of the mental health and welfare of the officers and men
during the period of prolonged combat operations, he per-
formed immeasurable service in maintaining high morale.
His broad knowledge of spiritual needs in times of stress
contributed greatly to the success of the operation.
Chaplains at Work
Not all chaplains serving with the Marines in
Korea were in the combat zone nor were those at-
tached to combat units on the front line all the time.
As far as the exigencies of the situation allowed, com-
bat battalions were rotated from the front lines to re-
serve. The ordinary duties of a Navy chaplain con-
tinued meanwhile. Divine Services were conducted,
the sacraments administered, the sick and wounded
visited, and countless numbers of consultations held.
The difficulties attendant upon fighting a war became
part of the normal routine. The unusual became
the usual. Some of the chaplains reporting as re-
placements arrived without having had field training,
but for the most part quickly adapted themselves to
the difficult conditions.
The questionnaire sent out by the Chaplains Di-
vision in the spring of 1954 asked for an account of
experiences which would illustrate unusual activities
or initiative on the part of chaplains. In reply to
this, Chaplain James S. Ferris, who is entitled to wear
three battle stars for service in Korea, wrote: "What-
ever initiative I have shown or taken is typical of all
chaplains." Chaplain Leslie L. O'Connor com-
mented :
I cannot claim any unusual activity or initiative out of the
ordinary. I was there as a chaplain, pastor, friend, and
comrade-without-arms during the guerrilla fighting between
Andong and Pohang-Dong and during the first phase of
"Operation Killer."
He told of visiting isolated companies of Marines
in the guerrilla country with the armed chow truck
carrying hot food and noted how appreciative the
men were to see a chaplain. "Their smiles and con-
versation," wrote O'Connor, "was like the winsome
gratefulness of a tired puppy."
Chaplains belonging to denominations practicing
baptism by immersion often made use of clear running
streams for that purpose. On one occasion Chaplain
Austin baptized six Marines in the Pukhan River,
while a congregation of native Koreans and military
personnel gathered on the makeshift bridge over the
swiftly flowing river.
An interesting and potentially dangerous episode in
the UN advance concerns this same river. Rising in
the mountains of North Korea the Pukhan flows into
the Hwachon Reservoir and thence southeastward to
its confluence with the Han River near Seoul. On
9 April the enemy opened several sluice gates of the
Hwachon dam, thus destroying bridges on the lower
river and providing a serious obstacle to the UN ad-
vance as the waters of the lower Pukhan rose swiftly.9
A task force dispatched to wrest control of the dam
failed; but the opening of the sluices actually affected
UN operations less than had been feared and the
mission was abandoned.
Chaplain George C. Bingaman described an unfor-
gettable Communion service which he conducted as
follows :
The service near Yangu in a rice paddy located near one
of our Marine artillery battalions was interrupted by sniper
fire directed at the chaplain preaching the communion ser-
mon. It was the only time in my ministry where the con-
gregation told the chaplain what the next act of the service
was to be. I "hit the deck" like every other worshipping
Marine, especially after they shouted to me to do so.
The coincidence was most unusual. I had been develop-
ing the point in my sermon on "faith" that this attitude
was an everyday feeling of confidence in God. At this point
came the sniper interlude. This served excellently to illus-
Miller el al., op. cit., pp. 25f.
61
trate the second point which I was to make — that faith is
also common sense. One should not ask God to do what
you can do for yourself. In this case it was divine expedi-
ency to "duck" rather than to depend completely upon God
to influence the sniper to miss his aim in your direction.
This unusual incident has always been a lesson to me illus-
trating the fact that God expects us to do as much as we can
for ourselves, including the protection and safeguarding of
men, women, and children from aggression and attack.
Chaplain Garson Goodman was the Jewish chap-
lain with the 1st Marine Division from 6 July 1950
to 22 May 1951. While his peculiar responsibility
was a ministry to men of the Jewish faith in the
Division, he found many opportunities to serve men
of other faiths and to assist in the work for civilian
refugees and orphans. Commenting on his work,
Chaplain Goodman wrote:
Not only did I carry out my duties as the only Jewish
Chaplain for the entire Division, but I also served men of all
faiths in my battalion. On one occasion while assigned to
the medical battalion, I went without sleep for a 48-hour
period serving the wounded and assisting the corpsmen as
necessary. While attached to the Ordnance Battalion, I
saw to it that a chapel was built for the specific purpose of
worship. I set up a smoothly running library, and for the
first time all the men were well supplied with writing paper,
pens, and all toilet articles which I had "procured" from
stateside organizations and other sources. In addition to
being the chaplain, I was the special services officer and li-
brarian. The greatest satisfaction derived was that the men
found a true friend in their chaplain under all circumstances.
Easter 1951
Nor were other Navy chaplains any less busy.
Easter Day was on 25 March in 1951, and was every-
where celebrated with appropriate religious observ-
ances. Chaplain E. R. Barnes reported a Sunrise
Service on the flight deck of the PHILIPPINE SEA
for not only his ship's personnel but all forces afloat in
Yokosuka harbor. Chaplain Arthur J. Wartes, on
board the repair ship JASON since October 1950, also
reported a sunrise service on the top deck. Doubtless
there were many others.
The following account by Chaplain Charles H.
Swift, Jr., was sent in as part of his questionnaire
reply.
On Easter Day, 1951, services were conducted at Naval
Air Facility, Oppama, outdoors, as the chapel space was too
small. An LST which had been converted to an ARVE
[aircraft repair ship (engine)], the USS AVENTINUS, was
moored bow first at the seaplane ramp. With the bow doors
open and the ramp down, this formed a setting for the altar.
The ship's company had made a large white cross which
hung in the opening against a background of blue curtains.
Greenery and flowers decorated the opening and formed a
frame around it. The altar and pulpit were set up on the
ramp. This beautiful setting, with the sun coming up in
the East, recalled to mind that beautiful song, "Let Us
Break Bread Together on Our Knees."
Oppama is fairly close to the great port city of Yoko-
suka. The Naval Air Facility was mainly concerned
with the maintenance and repair of carriers and air-
craft.
Chaplain James D. Hester, aboard the THOMAS
JEFFERSON, a transport operating under MSTS,
Pacific, out of San Francisco, from January to July
1951, wrote in his questionnaire of Easter celebrations
as the ship carried personnel replacements toward the
Far East.
The chaplain had made provision before leaving stateside
to provide as fully as possible for all the familiar decorations.
These were used in both the Protestant and Catholic serv-
ices. This particular group of replacements was landed at
Pusan, airlifted to the perimeter of the forward battle line,
and three days after leaving the ship committed to battle.
On the next trip out it was learned that this group had suf-
fered heavy casualties — about thirty per cent. It was com-
forting to the chaplain to remember that only 10 days previ-
ously they had knelt on the deck at the Communion Table
and received the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
In the 1st Marine Division, as far as operations al-
lowed, special services were planned for Holy Week
and Easter. During Holy Week weather had been
pleasant but it rained all day on Easter. Travel was
difficult as the chaplains "rode the circuit" of their
several separated units. Chaplain G. C. Bingaman,
stationed with the Amphibious Tractor Battalion, held
a service which he later described in the following
fashion.
Easter— 1951.
Chaplain R. E. Jenkins holds an Easter sunrise service for the
5th Marines.
62
Mass is said by Chaplain Joseph Fitzgerald.
Shoes.
In deference to Korean custom, marines attending worship
at Poon-suwon Church leave their dusty field shoes at
the entrance, alongside the sandals worn by Korean
worshippers.
In Masan, Korea, 1951, there was a most unusual Easter
Day. Seven Korean Protestant congregations had commit-
ted themselves and their choirs to worship with us in a
beautiful mountain spot overlooking the local harbor. Their
combined choirs had rehearsed frequently. The Marines
erected a huge cross constructed from the native pine trees.
The service was anticipated with a great deal of interest.
On Easter morning a steady downpour of rain ruled out
any thought of an outdoor sen-ice. Many Marines assumed
the chaplain would cancel the service. However, we had
an emergency plan — to set up indoor services in our Motor
Transport area. Fifty Marines braved the elements to at-
tend the indoor service. Most of us began to feel, like many
who had stayed in their sleeping bags, that the Koreans
would not come because of the storm.
A few minutes before the service time our trucks arrived
in camp with almost 100 Koreans, dressed in their finest,
soaked to the skin because they had no protection from the
rain. They sang the great hymns of Christendom while they
approached our area. Never before in so dismal a situation
had I celebrated a more triumphant Day of Resurrection.
Korean Christians
Contacts with Korean Christians became a normal
part of the experience of all the chaplains serving
there. On many occasions Koreans attended Divine
Services conducted by the chaplains. Joseph D. Mc-
Donald described one such experience.
While offering Mass in a valley, about 75 Korean civilians
were in attendance. Where they came from was doubtful.
The area was under attack not infrequently. Their mani-
festation of faith and gratitude was indeed a source of edifi-
cation even to the troops.
The chaplain was called to baptize a 2-year-old infant.
No missionary had been in that area for over 2 years.
Often chaplains were able to conduct services for
the Koreans. Chaplain Thomas B. Uber II reported
holding weekly services for "120 South Koreans at-
tached to a labor battalion assigned to my unit,"
speaking through an interpreter. At the request of
the United Nations Command, the Republic of Ko-
rea had organized a Civil Transport Corps, largely
members of the ROK National Guard who lacked
sufficient training for military service. Willing na-
tive laborers were plentiful, for they received not only
food and clothing but also pay. Formed into com-
panies, they were especially useful during the spring
of 1951 ; working their way forward on foot, carrying
tremendous loads on the traditional "A-frame" sup-
ported on their backs, these native laborers furnished
logistical support for the northward drive when mili-
tary vehicles were often bogged to the hubs in heavy
mud.
When Chaplain Joseph C. Fitzgerald heard con-
fessions, said Mass and gave Communion to a con-
gregation of about 100 Koreans and 40 Marine artil-
lerymen in the bullet-pocked church in Poon-suwon,
those Koreans had the ministry of their church for
the first time since invading Communists had mur-
dered their native priest the summer before. As re-
ported by combat correspondent Sergeant Ted Sell.
USMCR, there were among the women with their
immaculately white linen headpieces only five men,
four grandfathers and one cripple; the rest were off
fighting. During the service American bombers
droned overhead; outside a bulldozer pulled off the
road to allow an ambulance to pass on its way to the
rear. Once more a chaplain of the Navy had ful-
filled his duty as a servant of man and God; scenes
63 —
vary and circumstances change, but the Word of God
standeth ever sure.
Special Services
Chaplains have long been concerned with morale
activities as well as their more distinctively religious
ministry. Indeed, on occasion some commands have
seemed to treat their Chaplain Section as a glorified
recreation department. Sometimes individual chap-
lains have gone along with such an interpretation of
their duties; under some circumstances chaplains have
become involved in serious difficulties because of dis-
agreements with their commands over the extent and
character of their collateral duties. Since moral char-
acter, spiritual vitality, and high morale are likely to
be intimately related, written directives are not usually
sufficient to define precisely the chaplain's duties
within the command responsibility for the total wel-
fare of its personnel.
Cooperation with Navy Relief and American Red
Cross activities, the administration of libraries, the or-
ganization and execution of athletic and recreational
programs — these and many more collateral duties have
fallen to the lot of chaplains. In general those serving
with Marines have had fewer such assignments than
those serving other naval activities, especially, of
course, in ships. A Marine Division has a Special
Services Section, operated on every echelon from divi-
sion throughout battalion; its duties, like those of the
Chaplain Section, are spelled out by official regula-
tions but their implementation naturally varies with
circumstances.
On 31 March Division Chaplain Kelly wrote to the
Chief:
I had quite a discussion with our Division special services
officer, Lieutenant Colonel Batham, about where there might
be confusion or overlapping of our [respective duties.] I had
in mind particularly the recommendation of your meeting of
District and Force Chaplains concerning collateral duties.
We both are of the opinion that most commanding officers
have no idea of the large scope of special services. They be-
lieve that a special services officer merely arranges ball games,
shows and movies.
So we decided to draw up a resume of special services
duties and chaplain duties, [then] visit the various command-
ing officers and discuss the entire problem. [We hoped] to
give the CO's a clearer view of the importance of special
services with the hope that better fitted officers be assigned to
that post, who will not have to depend on the chaplain.
When asked if the special services officer could be a chap-
lain, I agreed with qualifications. And they were, that I
would first discuss the situation with the individual chaplains
in the smaller units and if they feel that they could first do a
100 percent job as a chaplain [and then] have reasonable time
to devote to special services, it would be agreeable. However,
with the larger units, such as regiments, I felt that being a
chaplain was a full time job.
So when we have threshed this out completely, armed with
the Special Services Manual, Chaplain's Manual, Marine
Corps Manual, and the recommendations of your conference,
we will approach the Chief of Staff. If he agrees, we will
approach the unit CO's. The two of us appearing together
will remove any thought of conflict between departments, or
that I am trying to get the chaplains out of something rea-
sonably in their department. Colonel Batham is whole-
heartedly in favor of this solution and feels that it will benefit
his department.
Relief Work
One of the notable aspects of the work of Navy
chaplains in Korea during and especially after hos-
tilities was the extensive relief work carried on under
their direction for thousands of Korean refugees.
Reference was made in his answer to the question-
naire by Chaplain Lawrence R. Phillips, a Protestant,
to what was doubtless the first work of Marines with
Korean orphans. He wrote:
Upon entry of Inchon I found the Catholic church with
some 40 orphans. Through cooperation with Marine author-
ities food, medicine, and clothes were gathered for the im-
mediate relief of the situation.
Soon such charitable endeavor became a normal
part of the work of chaplains and Marines. Chaplain
Schwyhart wrote to Chief of Chaplains S. W. Salisbury
on 16 February 1951:
A great portion of this week has been devoted to the dis-
tribution of 800 boxes of Marine Corps League gifts of cloth-
ing, shoes, and toys given by the children of American
Marines to the children of Korea. In cooperation with the
civil affairs officer, we made distribution in 5 cities and vil-
lages to an estimated 15,000 children. It was an experience
I shall not soon forget.
In his reply to the questionnaire Schwyhart enlarged
on that particular effort. He wrote:
During the first week in February 1951, at which time the
1st Marine Division was in the area of Pohang-dong on the
east coast of central Korea, a large shipment of clothing,
shoes, and toys arrived by LST from Pusan. This shipment,
totaling about 800 boxes, had been collected in east coast
cities of the United States by the Marine Corps League and
shipped to the 1st Marine Division for distribution to children
in Korea. The commanding general of the 1st Marine Di-
vision appointed me to organize the distribution. A staff of
several officers and many enlisted Marines aided in the dis-
tribution at three local points in the area of Pohang-dong.
It was estimated that approximately 25,000 children received
some item of clothing, shoes, or a toy on the date of distribu-
tion, which was 12 February 1951. The mayor of the city of
Pohang-dong and all school principals aided in organizing
the civilian community in the distribution of clothing.
If the number of distribution centers had been reduced
from 5 to 3, the estimated number of children had
■64-
risen from 15,000 to 25,000. Perhaps the chaplain had
received further information! Still, nothing can dim
the luster of what was in fact a notable example of
American philanthropy and Christian brotherhood.
After the front lines became more established, the
chaplains were later able to organize their relief work
on a more permanent basis. Individual units of the
fighting forces often accepted the responsibility of sup-
porting a Korean orphanage in whole or in part. The
pitiable condition of the homeless waifs of Korea
gripped the hearts of the American service men.
Chaplain W. M. Hearn described how the men of his
unit sometimes "adopted" orphans. Hearn wrote:
One time when we moved out we had three little girls who
had lost their parents. We took them back to a MG [military
government] unit to be sent to a home, but the whole company
were like a bunch of bereaved parents. The fathers in the
HQ company who had little girls at home helped to take care
of them. When we gave them a bath we found that they
each wore five to seven dresses, all of their worldly goods.
At another time we left a boy at an orphanage and found
him back in 2 days — a walk of several miles. Many times we
had Koreans in our church services. One boy was quite dis-
turbed by the undignified slouch of our men during services.
As he demonstrated, they should sit erect with folded hands or
bow their heads and hold their hands together during prayer.
Many of the chaplains wrote letters to churches,
service clubs, relief organizations, and individuals in
the States urging them to send clothing, toys, and
other needed items to be given to the needy and desti-
tute children of Korea, innocent pawns of war.
Particularly impressive was the initiative shown by
the Marines in contributing money, materials, and
labor for the rebuilding of churches, schools, and
orphanages. The generosity of the Marines confronted
by the needs of civilian Korean refugees proved to be
a constantly recurrent theme throughout the story of
UN operations there.
Marine Air Wing
After the evacuation at Hungnam the 1st Marine
Aircraft Wing had found itself involved in the re-
location problems of the 5th Air Force. Only a
limited number of usable fields were available; and
with the fall of Kimpo in the January Communist
offensive Far East Air Forces, the senior air com-
mand, had pulled many of its units back to Itazuke,
Japan, including the jet aircraft which could not
operate from any of the available Korean fields.
Headquarters of the 5th Air Force, as well as that
of 8th Army, were installed at Taegu.
Maj. Gen. Field Harris, Commanding General of
the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, settled both his Wing
headquarters and those of both Marine Aircraft
Group 12 and Marine Aircraft Group 33 at Itami,
the Air Force base near Osaka, Japan which had been
assigned the Wing in August 1950 by agreement be-
tween Commanding General, Far East Air Forces and
the Commander, Naval Forces Far East.10 Itami had
been all along the Wing's center for personnel re-
assignment, supply, and repair. On 10 January 1951
there began a giant airlift of personnel replacements
from the West Coast, and eventually Itami became
the air terminal for Marines en route to the Division
in Korea.
After helping cover 8th Army's withdrawal in
western Korea, operating off the carriers SICILY,
BADOENG STRAIT, and BATAAN, the tactical
squadrons were at Itami for repairs and training.
When in February they returned to combat the
Guide.
Chaplain R. L. Patton leads two small children to safety
somewhere near the front.
10 Brief notices in Lynn Montross, "Buttoning up the
Offensive: The Marines in Operation Killer," Marine Corps
Gazette (February 1952), pp. 35f; Montross, "Advance to the
38th Parallel: The Marines in Operation Ripper," Marine
Corps Gazette (March 1952), p. 21.
The author was kindly permitted by Mr. Montross, of the
Historical Branch, G-3, Marine Corps Headquarters, to
read the first draft of vol. IV, the official Marine Corps his-
tory of operations during the period here under consider-
ation. Ch. I (Addendum: Redeployment of the 1st Marine
Aircraft Wing) and ch. II are concerned with the Air Wing.
65
various squadrons came under direct Air Force con-
trol, and were no longer immediately at the call of
Marine ground units in accordance with Navy-Marine
Corps close air support doctrine. By March first six
squadrons were in combat, four operating from Pusan,
one from Pohang, and one carrier-based. During the
UN counteroffensive they supported other 8th Army
units as well as the 1st Marine Division.
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing was awarded a Re-
public of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for its
support of the United Nations effort, from 3 August
1950 to 26 February 1951. The earlier date marks
the 1st Marine air strike over Korea, by eight Cor-
sairs of VMF-214, operating from the SICILY.
Air Wing Chaplains
Concerning the chaplains Wing Chaplain John P.
Murphy wrote to the Chief of Chaplains on 18 April
as follows:
Since the middle of February MAG 33 has occupied a field
near Pohang and Chaplains [John H.] Markley and [Charles
E.] Webb are stationed there. The Wing and MAG 12
have been together near Pusan and Chaplain [George W.]
Cummins and I have been there.
While we have provided fair coverage we have not done
as good a job as we should and would if we were up to T/O
strength. There has been a great increase in the number of
personnel attached to Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron
and their T/O calls for a chaplain. They are scattered all
over and it is tough not to be able to care for their small
groups.
This has left the Marine Wing Service Squadron at Itami
with Marine and Naval personnel numbering one thousand
to be cared for by Catholic civilian clergy and an Air Force
Protestant chaplain.
Now a couple of squadrons of MAG 12 have been sent to
Seoul and I have not yet decided how best to cover them.
It was because of this pressure that the Commanding Gen-
eral on 22 March sent the following dispatch to BuPers.
From: C. G. 1st MAW
To: BuPers
Infor: CMC
Table organization 1st Marine Air Wing presently under-
strength two chaplains X Wide dispersion units this com-
mand necessitates complement X one Catholic one Protes-
tant needed to accomplish mission.
Far be it from me to attempt to say what is going to hap-
pen in Korea and what future disposition the Air Force is
going to make of the 1st MAW, but with the present setup
there should be, as the T/O provides, two chaplains with
each MAG, one with MTACS, and one with the Wing.
Further there should be one more chaplain to take care of
MWSS1, the Wing's service squadron at Itami . . . There
are several Army hospitals in the Osaka-Kobe area and a
number of Marine and Navy casualties are sent there. Liai-
son work as well as taking care of our own will keep a
chaplain as busy as a cat on a tin roof.
At Pohang the chaplains of Marine Aircraft Group
33 secured from their Commanding Officer two
Quonset huts to be erected into a chapel. There was
one hitch: assembling a Quonset hut requires the use
of no less than 5,500 screws! Two Quonset huts,
11,000 screws! Chaplain Webb wrote in his ques-
tionnaire:
About 20 Marines cooperated without hesitation or com-
plaint in this thankless task during their off duty hours. [Both
Catholics and Protestants], they had been subjected to the
very poor acoustics of a large and "holey" hospital tent and
realized its deficiencies in contrast to the relative solidity of
the Quonset hut for Divine Services.
Noting that these Marines sacrificed their time and
energy ungrudgingly, he added:
While this kind of spirit endures, we chaplains know that
there will always be a definite, concerted core of strength on
the side of God.
He concluded: "I did not remain long enough in
Korea to witness the finished product but have heard
that Chaplain Cleaves carried the project to a suc-
cessful completion."
Seaborne Artillery
While UN ground and air forces continued their
assault against the Chinese Communists, naval forces
prosecuted their assigned missions with vigor and suc-
cess. According to the authors of The Sea War in
Korea ll there were five ways in which the Navy kept
the Communists on the run after UN forces resumed
the offensive following the forced withdrawals of De-
cember and early January 1951 . Amphibious demon-
strations were made again and again; mindful of the
decisive nature of the Inchon landing, the Reds were
sensitive to the danger of surprise attack and of course
never knew, until the critical moment had passed,
whether such movements were feints (as they were)
or the "real McCoy."
Further contributing to keeping the enemy off-
balance were frequent commando raids put ashore and
covered by naval gunfire. Heavy bombardment was
utilized to lay siege to important Communist ports,
notably Wonsan ; there round-the-clock interdiction
began on 16 February and continued to the beginning
of the armistice, on 27 July 1953, the longest such
operation in modern American naval history.12 Be-
sides Wonsan two other east coast ports, Hungnam
and Songjin, in the far north, were besieged.
A fourth technique was naval gunfire against the
" Cagle and Manson, op. cit., pp. 305f.
13 Ibid., ch. 12.
66
coastal flanks of the enemy frontline, directed by for-
ward reconnaissance upon enemy troop, armament,
and supply concentrations. And finally, along the
enemy's exposed coastline, bombardment was main-
tained unremittingly against all major military targets,
inflicting both physical and psychological damage.
Seaborne Padres
Illustrative of the difficulties under which chaplains
carried on their ministry during this period are sev-
eral paragraphs from the questionnaire reply of Chap-
lain Oscar J. Harris, who was attached to Destroyer
Squadron 16 from August 1950 to September 1951.
He wrote, in part, as follows:
On a destroyer in the combat area Divine Services were
not conducted according to schedule. A time might be set,
but chances were the schedule would be interrupted. In
many instances the chaplain would have to wait until after
the evening meal. . . .
Attendance was good considering the difficult routine the
men had to endure. Their rest periods were interrupted by
constant general quarters and watch-standing. Every op-
portunity they had to "sack in" they took full advantage of.
In one instance the chaplain was conducting a service
when general quarters sounded. The sonarmen thought a
submarine was lurking in nearby waters. After a 2-hour
chase and discharging several depth charges, it was discov-
ered that a few whales had been playing havoc on the sonar
gear. Result : no Divine Service.
Duty of a different sort is illustrated by the following
excerpts from a letter to Chaplain Salisbury on 15
February 1951, in which Chaplain Edward E. Helmich
told of his work in the amphibious flagship MOUNT
McKINLEY.
We have just completed a very successful campaign for
the March of Dimes and the Ship's Company and Staff re-
sponded with a total of $1,422 collected and sent via chan-
nels to the national foundation. The average came to $1.74
per person.
Attendance at Divine Service has showed a marked in-
crease, and what pleases me especially is the large percentage
of officers attending. . . . There has also been a definite
upswing in attendance at the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
Then too, a Sunday Bible Class, recently organized with an
average attendance of 27 thus far, indicates a definite interest
and appreciation for such a class.
Several weeks ago I was able to secure the Korean Navy
Information and Education Music Group — a 45-piece sym-
phony orchestra and 60-voice choral group — for a series of
3 concerts. All of us were more than pleased with the
renditions.
The Bridge of Toko-ri
Diverted from their attack upon Yalu River bridges,
carrier planes of Task Force 77 were employed from
the end of January 1951 in attempting to disrupt the
railway network in eastern Korea over which rein-
forcements and supplies were moving to the front.13
Three main lines running south from Manchuria pro-
vided plenty of targets: 956 bridges and 231 tunnels,
an average of 1 bridge every 1.2 miles of track, 1
tunnel every 5.
On 2 March a PRINCETON pilot spotted the
nearly perfect target: a six-span bridge 600 feet long
and sixty feet above the floor of what the flyers came
to call "Carlson's Canyon," a tunnel at each end, and
paralleled by a partially completed second bridge. It
was this which became James Michener's Bridge of
Toko-ri. Exactly a month was spent bombing it;
again and again the Reds desperately repaired it, until
finally they took the only alternative and built a by-
pass through the canyon on low ground.
Involved in this "struggle to strangle" were the
carriers VALLEY FORGE, PRINCETON, and
PHILIPPINE SEA. On 27 March "Old Faithful,"
the VALLEY FORGE, was relieved by the BOXER,
aboard which was the first carrier air group composed
of organized Naval Air Reserve Squadrons to see duty
in Korea. The LEYTE had left the Korean theater
on 19 January. Concerning her skipper Chaplain
C. A. Frame later recalled:
The captain of our ship was (and is) a fine man. If he
had a problem troubling him, he would call the chaplain in
and ask for spiritual guidance. We usually ended by having
prayer together. I felt that those talks and prayers helped
in some way to clarify his mind and make it easier for him
to carry on his difficult mission. Needless to say, it always
made the chaplain feel very humble and inadequate.
PatRons
The necessary but largely routine activities of sup-
port groups tend to get lost in the backwash of the
"shootin' war." Everyone recalls the poignantly hu-
morous efforts of "Mister Roberts" to get a transfer
from his rusty supply ship to the firing lines of World
War II. In the Korean War, as always, various units
devoted themselves to the faithful performance of
duties almost guaranteed never to make a stateside
headline.
Among such were the Navy patrol squadrons (Pat-
Rons) whose vigilance added greatly to the effec-
tiveness of 7th Fleet operations in the Far East.14
Surveillance of merchant shipping, antisubmarine
patrol, weather reconnaissance, aerial mine spotting
and destruction, occasional flaredrops for Marine
night-fighting planes and naval gunfire target spot-
ting, and even logistical transport — such were the
13 Ibid., pp. 229-236.
14 Ibid., ch. 10 and app. V.
.".::,-.;j32 O— 60-
— 67
duties of men rarely in the limelight except when rare
encounters with Chinese aircraft or surface vessels
momentarily emphasized their continuing contribu-
tion.
Under overall control of Fleet Air Japan, the
PatRons, both land and seaplanes, were grouped in
two headquarters. Fleet Air Wing Six at Itwakuni,
Japan, with three to five squadrons plus seaplane
tenders, was responsible for operations in the vicinity
of Japan and Korea, from Siberia south to Okinawa.
Fleet Air Wing one, consisting of one land-based
squadron (at Naha, Okinawa) and one seaplane
squadron aboard a tender, exercised surveillance of the
international sea lanes south through the East China
Sea and the Straits of Formosa to the Philippines. Its
tender anchored off the Pescadores Islands except
when typhoons forced them to sea.
Based in the Pescadores were some 40,000 Chinese
Nationalist troops. No Americans had been seen there
since World War II. There were nothing but squalid
villages ashore and consequently no liberty for naval
personnel. Chaplain William W. Parkinson served
in the seaplane tender PINE ISLAND, first at Iwa-
kuni and after June 1951 off the Pescadores. In an
interview with the author Parkinson recalled the situa-
tion. Swimming was prohibited, though occasionally
the men were allowed ashore long enough to play
baseball. It was naturally difficult to maintain esprit.
The men were bored, their work was monotonous, and
like many others they wondered why they were there
at all. As the only Navy chaplain in the Formosan
area, Parkinson ministered to the ship's company and
the flyers who were running daily patrol missions, try-
ing to meet some of their needs with daily religious
services and by regular, sustained contact with all
personnel. -
Parkinson was followed in the PINE ISLAND by
Robert L. McCachran in May 1952. The SALIS-
BURY SOUND had as its first chaplain Daniel M.
Jordan, after October 1950, and then Richard P.
Chase, after August 1952.
MSTS
At the outbreak of Korean hostilities George W.
Thompson was Staff Chaplain, Deputy Commander,
Military Sea Transport Service, Pacific, in San Fran-
cisco. In assigning Thompson to this new billet Chief
of Chaplains S. W. Salisbury had written on 30 Sep-
tember 1949:
We will keep you informed of developments but you can
know that it will be your responsibility to insure perfect in-
tegration of Navy chaplains into this new type work as we
take over from the Army between 1 October 1949 and 1
April 1950.
The Military Sea Transport Service had been or-
ganized in 1949 as part of the unification program,
to handle all ocean transportation of both personnel
and materiel for all the Armed Forces. The responsi-
bilities of the Chaplain Corps in this development
were set forth by Chaplain Salisbury in a Memoran-
dum of 3 October 1949 to all Fleet, Force, and Dis-
trict Chaplains, from which the following extracts are
taken.
In accordance with this policy, present plans call for a
chaplain to be attached to the Staff of Deputy Commander,
MSTS, Atlantic Area (New York City), Deputy Com-
mander, MSTS, Pacific Area (San Francisco, Calif.), and
Deputy Commander, MSTS, North Pacific Area (Seattle,
Wash.). Chaplains being nominated for these billets are:
Chaplain George W. Thompson for San Francisco, Chaplain
Daniel S. Rankin for New York, and Chaplain Seth E. An-
derson for Seattle. It is planned to cover the Gulf Area
(New Orleans) by giving additional duty to the District
Chaplain, 8th Naval District. A chaplain from the Chap-
lains Division, BuPers, will have additional duty on the Staff
of Headquarters, MSTS, in the Navy Department. All
other chaplains assigned to the MSTS will serve aboard the
vessels of this service.
At least one-tenth of our Corps will be in this given field
at all times. The whole rotation schedule may have to be
revamped with a return to the old days when there was
more Sea Duty than Shore Duty. All chaplains assigned
to MSTS will have the responsibility of not only doing their
immediate job, but also of setting a pattern that will con-
tinue the high standard of service for which the Navy is
noted and in which our Corps takes pride.
The transfer of ships and embarkation facilities
from Army to MSTS took place during the following
months with less difficulty than might have been the
case; and fortunately so, for midsummer 1950 brought
skyrocketing demands upon sea transport. Of Chap-
lain Seth E. Anderson, Staff Chaplain, MSTS, North
Pacific, the Army Port of Embarkation chaplain had
written to the Chief:
This transfer . . . could prove to be a difficult project
should understanding and cooperation be lacking by any par-
ties concerned. Chaplain Anderson's fairness, sincerity, and
enthusiastic willingness to cooperate makes a difficult prob-
lem easier to solve.
If all Navy chaplains assigned to MSTS measure up to
the high standard which Chaplain Anderson has already es-
tablished [here], there will be no occasion for the least con-
cern on your part about the success of chaplains who are un-
dertaking this new project under your supervision.
Chaplain Anderson was relieved by Chaplain Edgar
C. Andrews, who reported 14 September 1950.
Chaplain Thompson served in San Francisco from
October 1949 to October 1952. Bv 1 March 1950,
when the Navy assumed full command responsibility
for MSTS, he had completed the indoctrination of
all the chaplains assigned duty in ships of MSTS, Pa-
cific, written a syllabus for their guidance in program
planning, and taken responsibility for supplying audio-
visual equipment and religious supplies to all ships of
the command. Later he took on the further job of
procuring and shipping, in the custody of MSTS
ships' chaplains, religious supplies for the use of chap-
lains in the war theater.
Chaplains assigned MSTS duty were attached to
the headquarters command and under the direction
of the supervisory chaplains rotated among the various
ships to meet the greatest need. While aboard, chap-
lains were temporarily attached to the Military De-
partment of the vessel.
Itinerating
The plan may be illustrated by reference to the
questionnaire replies of several of the chaplains. John
W. Myrose, for instance, wrote:
[I was] attached to Military Sea Transportation Service,
North Pacific Sub Area, Seattle, Wash., for duty afloat
aboard USNS transports operating between Seattle and the
Far East. This duty was from 25 August 1950 to 25 August
1952. Because of a shortage of chaplains there was a rota-
tion from one ship to another. I was aboard the following
ships at various times in both Japanese and Korean waters:
USNS JAMES O'HARA, USNS GEN. LEROY ELTINGE,
USNS PVT. SADAO S. MUNEMORI, USNS MARINE
PHOENIX, and USNS GEN. R. L. HOWZE.
He reported a high percentage of attendance at Di-
vine Services, daily and Sunday, on both east and west
crossings. "Over 8,600 men attended services dur-
ing one round trip during which a total of 12,000 were
aboard, 3,000 at a time."
Chaplain Cecil V. Marley had served in two differ-
ent transports under MSTS, North Pacific, before the
Korean War began. From August 1950 to November
1951 he was in the SITKOH BAY, an aircraft car-
rier operating under MSTS to ferry planes from the
United States to the theater of war. ( SITKOH BAY
was employed, for instance, in moving two squadrons
of Marine fighters when the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
was deployed to Japan in late August 1950.)
Chaplain Paul R. Elliott reported the following tour
of duty:
USNS GEN. M. C. MEIGS- December 1950-January 1951
USNS PVT. SADAO S. January 1951 -May 1951
MUNEMORI.
USNS GEN. S. B. BUCK- May 1951-July 1951
NER.
Chaplain Prescott B. Wintersteen served in the
MARINE PHOENIX from August 1950 to March
1951, and in the GEN. HUGH J. GAFFEY from
March to November 1951. Chaplain Franklin C.
Black reported duty in the C. C. BALLOU during
August and September 1950, and then in the FRED
C. AINS WORTH from October 1950 to March 1951.
Services
Chaplain Ernest L. Carter, whose exact itinerary
was not furnished, wrote concerning his work:
Aboard ship we had daily noon hour devotional services
for all faiths, using recorded hymns and prayers from the
prayer books of the different faiths. Protestants, Catholics,
Jews. Christian Scientists, Seventh Day Adventists, Latter
Day Saints, and Greek Orthodox personnel attended these
services.
Carter also edited the ship's paper, supervised the li-
brary, and had responsibility for recreation and enter-
tainment on various ships. Following the Hungnam
evacuation he wrote:
With the last ones from the bridge on our ship, and travel-
ing in blackout, after the noise of battlefire from shore and
ships for 1 1 days and nights, at the Christmas Eve service we
sang "Silent Night" in three languages: Americans in Eng-
lish, Puerto Ricans in Spanish, and Koreans in Korean, sing-
ing both separately and together. This was ? very impressive
occasion for everyone and they were glad to be alive.
Chaplain Beryl L. Burr reported over 75 percent of
the men aboard in attendance at Divine Service after
the departure from Hungnam. Services were held
hourly from 0800 through 1300.
"Over 400 attended daily services at both Protestant
and Catholic services aboard MSTS ships going to
Korea," reported Chaplain Edwin W. Andrews, who
served with MSTS, North Pacific, from August 1951
to August 1953. And Chaplain Allen L. Irwin wrote:
"Daily services on transport with men en route to bat-
tle areas during Korean conflict were especially well
attended and their response was excellent. About 50
such services were held, with a total attendance of over
8,000."
Chaplain Charles W. Adams held services every day
on transports carrying troops to Korea. "As many as
1 1 services a Sunday were held on the way to Pusan,"
he wrote. "Chaplains worked night and day on the
many personnel problems that came to the office." He
distributed "thousands of New Testaments" and some
2,500 copies of the whole Bible, very few of which were
left aboard when troops debarked.
Chaplain William R. Petre wrote in his question-
naire reply :
A group of men requested the establishment of a weekly
meeting of prayer, worship, and spiritual refreshment in addi-
tion to the regularly scheduled services. This was done, and
69
largely run by the men themselves. It was an excellent means
of religious growth. On the troopship the religious quest of
the men was of a high order. Men going into combat eagerly
sought a personal relation with God.
Chaplain John E. Watts was accustomed to hold
three Sunday morning services and a late afternoon
vesper service, on deck, weather permitting. Chaplain
Elliott noted, in addition to religious duties, establish-
ment of classes for the study of Japanese and Korean,
taught by personnel aboard familiar with those
languages.
Chaplain James R. Marks submitted the following
account along with his questionnaire.
A large number of Marines came aboard the GENERAL
GREELY at a Japanese port for the trip to Korea. Shortly
after the ship got underway I announced that religious serv-
ices would be held in the designated compartment, three
decks below the main deck. Two Protestant services were
scheduled that afternoon. A Roman Catholic rosary service
was scheduled for an early hour next day.
All preparations were made and the word was passed that
Holy Communion would be observed at 1500. Before the
organist had completed his prelude, the room was filled. All
chairs were occupied. Other Marines were sitting in every
available spot on the deck. A few stood against the bulk-
head. The majority of those present received Communion.
It was nearly 1600 when the service was completed. Several
minutes were required to empty the compartment, but during
that time two Marines approached me to say there were some
who came to the service but could not get into the compart-
ment. I told them another service was just about to begin.
I was surprised to see the compartment almost full the second
time.
Chaplain Marks also reported many baptisms on his
several trips. Always he required the candidate to
come to his stateroom for an interview and instruction
"in order that each person would have an under-
standing of its religious import." On each occasion,
usually in the evening, the candidate came to the chap-
lain's room accompanied by two witnesses and there
"accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour and
Lord."
In attempting to assess the ministry of all the chap-
lains it must not be forgotten, however, that there are
atheists in foxholes and that often piety evaporates in
direct proportion as the pressure lets up. Men in uni-
form are hardly different in this regard from any
others. One chaplain wrote after he had returned
from a tour of duty with Marines, "The sacraments be-
came less important in the lives of the men [back home]
than had been the case [in Korea]." And one MSTS
chaplain observed: "Going to Korea attendance at
Holy Communion was very high; but on coming home,
troops returning had again relapsed into the normal
tendencies of home life."
"Operation Welcome"
Service of a different sort was inaugurated in 1951
by MSTS Chaplain Edwin W. Andrews. Noticing
how shy and obviously nervous were the Japanese
brides traveling in the USNS M. M. PATRICK with
their servicemen husbands to life in the States, he
began a series of informal lectures, suggested by the
orientation program chaplains have long given troops
bound overseas. He told them something of our cus-
toms, government, religions, and life in our cities and
on our farms, and followed with a question period.
Later he added education films, such as "This Is
America," an account of small-town life, and "Our
Nation's Capital," a documentary about the Federal
Government. Sometimes an interpreter was needed
but one was always found. On one trip there were
31 "war brides" and their husbands. "I like to think
my lectures and movies help some of the girls adjust
to life in the United States," the chaplain was quoted
in a Navy press release. "The girls enjoy it and per-
haps it helps them a little. That makes it all worth
while."
Annual Report
The following data, from Chaplain Allen L. Irwin's
annual report to the Secretary of the Navy for calendar
year 1950, may illustrate the work of MSTS chap-
lains. Recalled to active duty in August 1950, he was
assigned to MSTS and spent 2 weeks aboard the GEN.
M. M. PATRICK undergoing indoctrination. Next
he served aboard GEN. M. B. STEWART on a cross-
ing to the Far East. Detached in October he flew
back from Tokyo to Seattle, where he served as As-
sistant to the Staff Chaplain, MSTS, North Pacific.
In December he was assigned to the M. M.
PATRICK.
Aboard ship basic duties were performed as follows :
1. Conduct of Protestant Divine Services and administra-
tion of the sacraments.
2. Supervision of daily Protestant devotional service con-
ducted by myself and/or passenger chaplains.
3. Provision for Roman Catholic Mass, Sundays and daily,
when a passenger chaplain was available; assistance to the
Roman Catholic chaplain as needed and desired for con-
fessions, choir practice, supplies and equipment; provisions
for Roman Catholic Rosary Service when no Roman Cath-
olic chaplain was aboard.
4. Provision for Jewish Divine Service when a sufficient
number of interested personnel was on board.
5. Facilitation of meetings for other distinctive religious
groups as desired.
6. Arranging church parties as needed.
7. Parish visitations: sick bay, brig, in dayrooms, about
decks and living quarters.
70
8. Personal counseling.
9. Christian instruction.
10. Procurement and distribution of New Testaments, de-
votional materials, and religious supplies.
11. Orientation of passenger chaplains.
12. Participation in orientation periods for voyage staff
and passengers.
13. Presentations of chaplain's lectures on "Citizenship
and Morale" in the Troop Information and Education Pro-
gram.
14. Extension of aid to advanced base chaplains through
provision of supplies, extension of ship hospitality, and
Christian Fellowship.
Chaplain Irwin's duties in Seattle indicate what the
Staff Chaplain's office was doing to aid chaplains in
the ships. He supervised a supply warehouse, pro-
curing, and distributing gear aboard ship. He as-
sisted the Staff Chaplain in "unofficial" inspection of
the ships' chaplains' work, in maintaining liaison with
the Army Port Chaplain, and in counseling MSTS
personnel and their dependents. Further, he main-
tained liaison with civilian religious groups and serv-
ice clubs, occasionally "supplied" for chaplains, and
participated in civilian religious services.
A composite typical work day aboard ship might go
as follows:
Breakfast.
Check in office; plan work of the day; arrange for
daily services.
Brief conferences with passenger chaplains; check on
newspaper.
Instruction classes; personal counseling; study; prepa-
ration of services or administrative work.
Lunch and free period.
Check on libraries, special services, movie program,
newspaper; administrative work.
0730
0800
1000
1130
1300
1400 Visitation, about decks, in recreation rooms, and liv-
ing quarters.
1500 Instruction classes, personal counseling; study or ad-
ministrative work.
1630 Supper.
1715 Visits to sick bay and brig.
1800 Check on movies; free time for attending movies,
social visitation or study.
2000 "Coffee hour" and social visitation ; conferences with
chaplains, or free time.
2230 Personal devotions and lights out.
But, he added, "this is a highly theoretical day,
as the program was adapted to the various needs
according to the stage of the voyage. Many special
occasions such as hymn sings, shows, embarkation,
debarkation, or special problems made each day in
the voyage a separate entity, to be dealt with as
creatively as possible."
Sundays were much the same as any other day, ex-
cept for Divine Services. At that time Protestant
service was held in the Troop Theater at 0900, with
Mass in the lounge; at 1030 another Mass was said in
the Troop Theater and a second Protestant service
held in the lounge.
Besides all this, the chaplain was charged with the
ship's paper, library, and entertainment programs, in-
cluding movies and assisting the special services pro-
gram, and also assistance with the Troop Information
and Education program.
MSTS Pac Roster
The roster submitted by Chaplain Thompson in
March 1951 showed the following disposition of
MSTS, Pacific chaplains.
Adams, Charles W PE
Beck, Max G LUTH (MoSy) . .
Bost, Warren L PRESBY (USA) .
Burr, Beryl L . . . .
Erickson, Paul F.
Hawkins, Elmo M. T
Holmes, Norman B.
Howard, Edwin R
Lloyd, Paul A.
Metzger, Ernest W
NONE AT PRESENT .
Nicholas, Philip
Norwood, Herman R
Somers, Lester I
Stowater, Seattle A
Terhune, Cornelius A . .
BAP (A)
EVAN MISS CONV.
METH
CHRI SCIENCE
CONG
RC
METH
PRESBY (USA).
BAP (A)
EVAN & REF . .
UNIT
PRESBY (USA).
Vitz, Robert H EVAN & REF . .
Wheeler, Wendell C CONG
Watts, John E., Jr PRESBY (USA) .
White, Leonard F RC .
Below, Ralph W BAP (S)
GEN H. J. GAFFEY
GEN. S. B. BUCKNER
GEN. W. WEIGEL
GEN. S. HEINTZELMAN
GENERAL R. L. HOWZE
GEN. D. E. AULTMAN
SGT. C. E. MOWER
GEN. C. G. MORTON
GEN. E. D. PATRICK
GEN. D. I. SULTAN
GEN. WILLIAM BLACK
GEN. W. O. DARBY
GEN. W. F. HASE
GEN. N. M. WALKER
SGT. HOWARD E. WOODFORD
GEN. A. W. BREWSTER
GEN. JOHN POPE
AIKEN VICTORY
GEN. E. T. COLLINS
LT. R. O. BEAUDOIN
GEN. A. E. ANDERSON
— 71
Dohrmann, Leonard B EVAN & REF GEN. J. C. BRECKENRIDGE
Hester, James D BAP (A) THOMAS JEFFERSON
Jenkins, Robert E BAP (A) GEN. WM. MITCHELL
Karnasiewicz, Charles F RC REPOSE
Kuolt, Milton G LUTH (MoSy) GEN. W. A. MANN
Marley, Cecil V PRESBY (USA) SITKOH BAY
Martineau, Edward R . RC GEN. H. W. BUTNER
McCarthy, Eugene W . . . . RC WINDHAM BAY
Meier, Kermit I METH GEN. G. M. RANDALL
Morton, Frank R LUTH... CAPE ESPERANCE
Porter, Harry A BAP (A) . . . PRESIDENT JACKSON
Potter, Paul K METH HAVEN
Reardon, John J RC HAVEN
White, Henry P METH REPOSE
Eve of Fury
By 1 April 1951 ominous reports had reached the
United Nations command of the influx of some
700,000 fresh Chinese Communist troops via Man-
churia. Division Chaplain Kelly had written to Chap-
lain Salisbury on 3 1 March : "There is no spectacular
fighting going on at present. There is always the
ominous feeling that the Reds might unleash some-
thing." And on 21 April, he wrote:
Nobody knows what to expect from the enemy. We know
they have a terrific concentration of manpower somewhere
above us. They have concentrated supplies. Prisoners have
given all kinds of dates for their big push. So we are just
moving along wondering where and when they are going to
hit. Everybody expects that when it comes, it will be all
out. However, the general feeling is, "Why don't they start
it? Then we will find out how tough they are."
During the months of the First United Nations
Counteroff ensive ( late January through the middle of
April), UN forces were constantly striking at the
enemy and gradually forcing him farther and farther
northward, until they were well forward of approx-
imately the eastern two-thirds of the 38th Parallel.
Even as elements of the 1st Marine Division captured
the Hwachon Reservoir on 22 April, thus securing the
southeastern approaches of the Iron Triangle, enemy
activity erupted all along the front. Chinese and
North Koreans poured forth and boldly counter-
attacked; the long-awaited spring offensive had begun.
72
CHAPTER 5
CHINESE COMMUNIST SPRING OFFENSIVE
22 April-8 July 1951
Two reservoirs figure prominently in the history
of Marine operations in Korea, the Chosin and the
Hwachon. In the latter area the Division was now
to have some of its hardest fighting, in little-known
actions which Lynn Montross has called worthy of
comparison with the battles of Inchon-Seoul and the
Chosin Reservoir.1 It was apparent that the enemy,
with an army estimated at 700,000 Chinese and
North Korean troops, was prepared to fight for a
decision. His goal was nothing less than the expulsion
of United Nations forces from the peninsula and the
extension of Communist rule over the whole of Korea.
The long-expected strike began at 2215 on 22 April.
By midnight the ROK 6th Division, in the center of
IX Corps, with the 24th Army Division on the left
and the 1st Marine Division on the right, had given
way. To protect its exposed left flank the Division
ordered the 1st Marines from reserve. On the right
flank the 1st Korean Marine Regiment, attached to
the Division, repelled a succession of attacks designed
to isolate the Division from X Corps on its right. The
Division warded off threatened envelopment; but
the enemy was attacking in such overwhelming num-
bers and with such utter disregard for human life 2
that, commencing on 25 April, Gen. Van Fleet ordered
8th Army to begin moving back to prepared de-
fensive positions.
The attack against IX Corps proved to be a sec-
ondary, though the initial, thrust. Some 36 enemy
divisions were committed in the sector between
Hwachon and the west coast. It was now clear that
his real objective was Seoul, perhaps not so much for
its strategic value as for its symbolic significance. To
1 Marine Corps Gazette (July 1953), p. 17, Lynn Montross,
"Red China on the Offensive."
For summary information on this period see also Miller
et al., op. cit., ch. IV, "The Enemy Strikes Back." Also
helpful are the sections in vol. IV of the official Marine Corps
history of operations in Korea dealing with this period, at the
time of this writing not yet published.
! Montross says that the enemy suffered an estimated loss
of 70,000 during the first week of their spring offensive
("Red China on the Offensive," p. 23).
be able to celebrate May Day in the Korean capital
would be to announce to the world, and more par-
ticularly to the uncommitted smaller nations, the
futility of resistance to Communist imperialism.
Gen. Van Fleet, by falling back deliberately
through a series of planned defensive positions, while
at the same time inflicting overwhelmingly heavy
losses upon the aggressor, was able to implement a
policy which has been described as "trading real estate
for destruction of the enemy." By the end of April a
line had been stabilized in front of Seoul and the
Han River, and there was a momentary lull. Van
Fleet now reorganized his forces and planned a
counter attack.
Second Punch
The agile Chinese command beat him to the draw;
a second major attack was launched on 16 May.3
The 1st Marine Division, commanded by Maj. Gen.
Gerald C. Thomas, who had relieved Maj. Gen. Oli-
ver P. Smith on 25 April, was now again part of X
Corps, commanded by (now) Lt. Gen. E. M. Almond.
Making its main bid this time in the eastern sector,
the Communist force pierced the UN line and poured
through the gap left by the fall-back of two ROK
divisions for a gain of some 30 miles, thus exposing
the Marines' right flank.
Tactical shifts made in Marine positions enabled
them to contain and finally repulse the enemy's pene-
tration. By 19 May it became evident that the second
Chinese attack would fail of its objective. All along
the front UN troops had brought the enemy's offen-
sive to a standstill, and by the end of May a counter-
attack was under way. So suicidal had been the
massed Red assaults that his casualties for the month
of May were estimated at 105,000. including 17,000
dead and 10,000 prisoners.4
* I bid., p. 24.
' Marine Corps Gazette (August 1953), p. 17. Lynn
Montross, "Advance to the Punchbowl."
73
Map 1. — Red China on Offensive.
Reproduced by permission from the Marine Corps Gazette.
74 —
ANSONC
FRONT LINES
22 May 51
Map 2. — Advance to the Punchbowl.
Reproduced by permission from the Marine Corps Gazette (August 1953)
— 75 —
Advance to the Punchbowl
The UN counterstroke got underway on 22 May.
By 27 May the Marines were fighting in a sector east
and south of the Hwachon Reservoir, advancing
toward Yangu on its eastern tip." During the first
part of June the Division was moving through moun-
tainous country with peaks rising to 3,000 feet. The
terrain was cut by deep ravines with precipitous sides;
roads were practically nonexistent. The enemy had
dug in along the ridges behind well-protected log
bunkers. The sides of the valleys were so steep that
artillery was frequently ineffective, though tanks par-
alleling the infantry advance poured flat-trajectory
shells upon the entrenched bunkers. Nests of resist-
ance had to be cleaned out by hand-to-hand combat,
much of it at night. Yet the advance continued
toward an objective north and east of Yangu, a cir-
cular mountain-rimmed valley which became known
as the Punchbowl.
Losses were heavy, especially among the Korean
Marine regiment, whose personnel could expect no
mercy from their Red compatriots.
During the first 10 days of June, in fact, 1st Mar Div
personnel losses were higher than during any full month of
the year so far. The 1st KMC Regt suffered more than 500
casualties from all causes during this period, and the 1st
Marines had 67 KIA [killed in action] and 1,044 WIA
[wounded in action] from 1 to 30 June, most of them in-
curred during the first 2 weeks. This was a higher total of
battle casualties than that reported by the regiment in the
Chosin Reservoir operation."
In the west meanwhile I and IX Corps had exerted
continuous pressure toward the Iron Triangle. By
1 1 June, Operation Pile driver had brought a force
consisting of the U.S. 3d Division, the ROK 9th Divi-
sion, and the Philippine Battalion into Chorwon and
another consisting of the U.S. 25th Division and the
Turkish Brigade into Kumhw.7 Soon the apex of
the Triangle, Pyongyang, was secured also; but since
the whole area was so completely dominated by sur-
' Ibid., pp. 15ff. Also Miller et al., op. cit., ch. V.
'Montross, "Advance to the Punchbowl," p. 21.
' Miller et al, op. cit., p. 111.
rounding heights, neither side attempted to hold it
thereafter.
First Anniversary
The end of June 1951 found the United Nations
occupying the most favorable line they had held since
the Chinese intervention. Beginning at the mouth of
the Imjin River on the west, it ran through the
middle of the Triangle, over the mountains and along
the southern rim of the Punchbowl, and northeast to
the coast at Chodo-ri. The Communists held 2,100
square miles less than when they had begun their ag-
gression a year before. Lynn Montross has written: 8
By the most conservative estimate considerably more than
a million Chinese and North Koreans had been killed,
wounded, or captured, and losses of enemy equipment in-
cluded 391 aircraft, 1,000 pieces of artillery, and thousands
of automatic weapons, machine guns, and mortars. North
Korea, which had been the industrial region of the peninsula,
lay in ruins everywhere, its cities and factories and power
plants pounded into rubble by UN bombs and shells.
In fact, the aggressors in Korea were defeated.9 The
best proof of this lies in the hints of a desire for truce
talks which now began to be given out by the enemy.
Summarizing the contribution of the Marines to
the first year of the Korean War, Montross states that
of a total of nearly 50,000 who had served so far in
the combat theater 1,385 casualties had been returned
stateside for hospitalization, 80 reserves sent home for
release, and 7,352 men rotated to stateside duty.10
On 21 April, on the eve of the Chinese Communist
push, Kelly submitted the following roster of the 29
chaplains then attached to the 1st Marine Division.
Recent arrivals had been Keene H. Capers, John E.
Hollingsworth III, Arthur M. Kulinski, William B.
Leonard, Jr., and Thomas B. Uber II.
" Montross, "Advance to the Punchbowl," p. 22.
" Montross says the enemy was not yet beaten in June 1951,
though he had good military as well as political reasons for
wishing to have a breathing spell (ibid., p. 23). Cagle and
Manson both give it as their opinion and quote Gen. Van
Fleet to the effect that the Reds were definitely whipped; but
since the UN forces were not to be allowed to prosecute
the war to a successful conclusion, the inevitable result was
stalemate (op. cit., pp. 308-310).
10 Montross, "Advance to the Punchbowl," p. 22.
ROSTER OF CHAPLAINS
Headquarters Battalion .
1st Engineer Battalion. .
1st Tank Battalion. . .
1st Medical Battalion
F. W. Kelly...
H. H. Hayes. . .
K. M. Hearn1.
W. B. Leonard .
W. M. Hearn 2
G.J. Reilly.
W. A. Rennie
G. Goodman 2
See footnotes at end of table
CDR
. .. RC
LTJG...
DISC
LT
METH
LT
PRESBY (BIBLE)
LTJG
BAP (A)
LT. .
RC
LT
METH
LTJG
JEWISH
76
ROSTER OF CHAPLINS— Continued
Ordnance Battalion
1st Amphib. Tractor Bn . . .
1st Shore Party Bn
1st Motor Transport Bn. .
1st Service Battalion
1st Combat Service Group .
1st Marines
T. B. Uber LT LUTH
G. C. Bingaman LTJG EVAN & REF
K. d'A. Engle LTJG PE
J. P. Trodd
A. J. Juntunen
W. N. Lyons 2
A. "M. Kulinski
J. D. McDonald
H. E. Austin
C. S. Pigott
K. H. Capers
J. E. Hollingsworth . . .
L. R. Phillips 2
S. K. Johnson .
J. M. Quirk LT
J. S. Ferris LT
LT RC
LT LUTH
LCDR BAP (A)
LCDR RC
LCDR RC
LT . . BAP (A)
LTJG BAP (S)
LTJG PRESBY (USA)
LCDR BAP (S)
LT CONG
LT PRESBY (USA)
RC
METH
1 1th Marines
1 Awaiting orders.
2 Awaiting relief.
E. I. Van Antwerp 2 LT RC
R. L. Patton2 LTJG METH
J.C.Fitzgerald LCDR RC
H. H. Groover LTJG DISC
H. E. Waters LTJG BAP (S)
Kelly Reporting
A vivid picture of both the military situations and
the chaplains' activities during this period may be
gained from the regular letters written by Division
Chaplain Francis W. Kelly to the Chief of Chaplains.
Chaplain Kelly's letter of 27 April reflects the situ-
ation which developed after the Chinese Communist
forces launched their big drive. He wrote :
We have come through a tough time, and we don't know
what next. So far we have had no casualties amongst our
chaplains although they have been exposed to terrific pres-
sure. Everything was going along smoothly. We were ad-
\ancing steadily when suddenly the Reds cut loose.
We had two regiments on the front and one well back in
reserve. The 7th had been on the lines with the 1st Cavalry
Division. When we reached the Kansas line, the 1st Cavalry
was replaced with our 5th Regiment. It was planned that
the 1st Regiment would replace the 7th, so that they would
get a rest. Our CP [command post] had moved up to about
four miles behind the lines because such progress was being
made. Our 1st Regiment was about 5 miles behind the
CP. On Sunday everything was moving up. I started out
to find an Army Battalion of the 17th Field Artillery but
they were on the move. In looking for them I ran across
Van Antwerp moving up with the 7th and Fitzgerald with
the 11th. I also ran into the 5th moving up. Fortunately
for me I didn't stay overnight in that area because . . .
things really broke loose in that spot. All of China seemed
to descend on us on that Sunday night.
In a desperate effort to contain the Chinese Com-
munist forces penetration of the front lines, the 1st
Battalion, 1st Marines bore the brunt of some heavy
fighting. Kelly, describing this situation, wrote:
The 1st Marines were rushed up Sunday night and two
battalions really ran into a terrific condition. The Chinese
tried to smash through the area held by the 1st Battalion
of the 1st Marines, but were unsuccessful. It looked for a
while another Hagaru. We had no idea how many enemy
had poured through on our left or how far they had gone.
The ROK [6th] Division left a complete sector unguarded.
Another view of that night of fury is furnished by
the Bronze Star citation of Joseph D. McDonald,
Regimental Chaplain, 1st Marines.
Serving as regimental chaplain, Lieutenant Commander
McDonald displayed outstanding courage and initiative when
the battalion to which he was attached was subjected to vio-
lent attack during hours of darkness by a numerically superior
enemy force. Having relinquished his foxhole to a wounded
man. he fearlessly and with complete disregard for his own
safety moved in and about the sick bay area, which was sub-
jected to almost constant enemy mortar and automatic weap-
ons fire, to render aid and spiritual assistance to the wounded.
Hi' repeatedly gathered urgently needed men to assist as
stretcher bearers, and on at least two occasions, when adequate
bearers were not available, moved courageously to the lint-
through withering enemy fire to help carry casualties to the
aid station. During the attack the following morning to
break out of an enemy encirclement, he was continually found
at the side of a wounded man, although this required that he
move back through the column toward enemy-held ridge lines
and through increasing enemy fire. When offered vehicular
transportation, he refused it, and was among the last to leave
the area where the enemy was closing in, leading wounded
77 —
Marines through heavy fire to a position from which they
could be evacuated. His great personal bravery and con-
stant material and spiritual assistance throughout the battle
were an inspiration to all members of the command.
Chaplain Kelly's account continues:
Nobody knew when a horde of Chinese would overrun us.
No one got much sleep with artillery and machine guns going
all night. Tuesday morning the CP was moved back 5 /a
miles. . . . That night we were in a CP with an artillery
perimeter. About 200 yards away from us 8-inch field guns
fired all night in three directions, and a battery of Marine
artillery were facing southwest. An ambulance evacuation
point was set up. Reilly, Capers, and Hayes covered that.
Trodd from Motor Transport covered the hospital. The next
day Reilly went back to the hospital and Trodd and Capers
covered the casualties coming through. Casualties are mod-
erate considering the situation.
As we have seen, the Chinese Communist forces
breakthrough obliged the UN forces to fall back in
orderly retreat. Chaplain Kelly concluded his report
to the Chief:
Even though we are still dropping back, the morale is high.
The [men] are dead-tired, but still fighting. We expect the
CP to move back tomorrow. I am proud of the work of the
chaplains in this tough operation.
Chaplain Kelly's next letter to Chaplain Salisbury
was dated 7 May. By that time Chaplains Van Ant-
werp and William Hearn had been relieved. Chap-
lains Harold H. Cummings (Presbyterian), Ross H.
Trower (Lutheran), Richard T. Peeters (Roman
Catholic), Jesse L. Swinson (Methodist), and George
R. Brosius (Lutheran) had reported for duty.
Regarding the military situation Kelly wrote :
Things have settled down considerably. Our Command
Post has stopped moving. For the past week we have been
settled in one spot. The week before that we moved four
times. We are getting to be like a bunch of gypsies. Our
front is moving north again. Contact with the enemy has
been very light. Our patrols are fanning out without much
contact. These Chinese are odd people. They must crawl
into the ground. One day they are running all over the place.
The next day you can't find them. From our intelligence we
know that they have tremendous numbers in North Korea.
Most of the outfits are identified and their strength estimated.
All we have to do is to guess when and where they will hit.
The only thing we can be fairly certain is that it will be at
night.
Damaged Church.
Marines examine a church atop a hill in Chunchon area
which was shelled when the war passed through the
area.
Memorial Services at the Front.
The 1st Marines hold a brief service in memory of their
fallen comrades. Participants are (from left to right) Pfc.
Marvin Blankficld (Jewish), Chaplain Henry E. Austin
(Protestant), Chaplain Joseph D. McDonald (Catholic)
and Chaplain Keene H. Capers (Protestant).
Chinese Strike
They had not long to wait. Kelly's letter of 25 May
reported on events of the previous week.
Operation Yo-yo still goes on. Last week conditions looked
very dismal. The Chinese ran wild again. All the damage
done has not been definitely clarified. It certainly looked as
though they were playing for keeps. I will attempt to give
you the picture. We were straightening out from the debacle
at the end of April by holding a defense line and sending
patrols up in the area of Chunchon. Just before dark on the
evening of May 15, the 3d Battalion of the 7th Marines
moved into a new position along the Chunchon-Wonju road.
About 4 o'clock in the morning the Chinese tried to break
through in lorce. The 7th really clobbered them. It was
estimated that they suffered over 400 casualties. When they
tried to drop back they were caught in a curtain of artillery.
Over 60 prisoners were taken by the 7th. If they had suc-
cessfully broken through, they were going to fan out and
attack our lines from the rear. They did not break through.
The South Korean soldiers, who often distinguished
themselves by their bravery, sometimes lacked the
tenacity to dig in and fight which was displayed by the
U.S. Marines. Some of the most difficult conditions
faced by the United Nations forces in this 5th Korean
campaign resulted from the failure of ROK troops to
hold the line. Chaplain Kelly wrote: "Somebody said,
'The Chinese yell Banzai, the Koreans yell Pusan, and
both take off.' "
Referring to another bad situation which had devel-
oped because of a Communist breakthrough, Kelly
wrote :
Again we were endangered on our flank. It looked for a
while that we were going to fall back to Wonju. Elements of
the 3d Army Division came in on the right. Now we are on
the move again. If it works it will be very good. If it doesn't
it will be curtains. There is a chance that we can cut off the
Chinese who broke through. I hope it won't be another
Hagaru-ri.
I saw some of the results of the Chinese break through the
other day. Our 5th Regiment jumped off Wednesday morn-
ing, right through the territory where the 38th Army had been
clobbered. Word came back that in their advance they found
a lot of wounded and dead Army personnel, so I took off to
lend a hand with the wounded. We didn't locate many
wounded, but we found plenty of dead.
Meanwhile Chaplains Groover, Reilly, Rennie, and
Goodman had left for home. Goodman, the Division's
Jewish chaplain, was replaced by Chaplain Elihu H.
Rickel. Chaplain William A. Taylor (American Bap-
tist) had also reported for duty with the 1st Marine
Division.
Chaplain Howard J. Groover, was awarded the
Bronze Star for "meritorious achievement . . . while
serving with a Marine artillery regiment in Korea from
15 September 1950 to 15 May 1951." The citation
reads in part as follows :
Although operating under the most severe weather and field
conditions, he, without regard for his own personal safety,
continually ministered to the needs of the wounded. His
presence in the front lines added immeasurably to the morale
and spiritual well-being of the men. His outstanding conduct
under fire in treating and giving spiritual consolation to the
wounded served as a source of encouragement to those around
him.
Chaplain Kelly reported that 8th Army was hold-
ing a memorial service at the UN cemetery. All units
of UN forces were to be represented. Kelly was
asked to give the invocation. Unit chaplains were
asked to hold memorial services in their own areas as
military conditions permitted. Again and again, as
far as the exigencies of continuing combat allowed,
the Marines would pause to pay their respects to their
comrades-in-arms who had fallen.
Beginning of Advance
Kelly's letter of 25 May was written just after the
beginning of Van Fleet's forward advance. During
the heavy fighting that followed, two more chaplains
were cited for the Bronze Star. The first was Henry
H. Hayes, for distinguished service on 31 May. His
citation reads in part as follows:
Serving as battalion chaplain, Lieutenant (jg.) Hayes dis-
played outstanding courage and initiative when an adjacent
battalion was subjected to a devastating enemy artillery
barrage while preparing to move forward. Hearing the
cries for aid, he . . . ran through the heavy enemy fire to
reach the stricken men. Despite sporadic artillery fire, he
courageously moved from casualty to casualty, dressing
wounds, organizing stretcher parties, and comforting the
wounded. His great personal bravery and unswerving de-
votion to duty were an inspiration to all who observed him,
and aided materially in saving many lives.
The second chaplain cited was John M. Quirk who,
hearing that a rifle company of his regiment had sus-
tained heavy casualties, assembled a party of Korean
laborers to act as litter bearers and after all were
loaded in a truck started out on the errand of mercy.
The truck struck an antitank land mine. Chaplain
Quirk was hurled some 50 feet through the air and
landed in a rock-strewn field. He was painfully
bruised and cut but not too seriously wounded. Re-
porting on the incident to Chaplain Salisbury on 5
June, Chaplain Kelly wrote :
Chaplain John M. Quirk, Catholic Chaplain with the 5th
Marines, was wounded yesterday. His condition is not too
serious, but he will not be available for duty in less than 2
months. He was a victim of a land mine. He received
fragmentation wounds in the legs and right arm, a large
wound in his left arm, and a contusion which caused quite
a bit of swelling on the right side of his face. However,
his eye was not injured and they don't think any facial
nerves were affected. He also suffered shock. I tried to
79-
get to him, but they flew him by 'copter to a rear medical
company.
Chaplain Quirk's citation for the Bronze Star con-
tains the following further account of what happened :
Despite his serious injuries, he attempted to crawl back to
the burning truck in order to render aid to the injured la-
borers. His bravery and complete disregard for his personal
safety were an inspiration to all who observed him.
Two days after Chaplain Joseph P. Trodd replaced
Quirk in the 5th Marines, a shell landed outside his
tent. The chaplain's clerk and a brother officer were
wounded by the explosion but, although Trodd was
knocked to the ground and badly shaken, he was not
seriously hurt.
In this same letter of 5 June, Chaplain Kelly com-
mented as follows on the military situation as it then
existed :
In my last letter I told you that we were pushing forward
again. Well, we have really pushed forward. We are al-
most up to where we were when things broke back in April.
However, we are on the right side of the Hwachon Reservoir,
whereas the first time we were on the left. The 5th and 1st
Regiments are moving up with the 7th ready to swing in on
the right. Resistance has stiffened very much recently.
The regiments have been taking a pounding. The enemy
have been using a lot of mortars and some artillery. In a
few days with some good breaks we may reach the line
where we will defend for a while. That is good, because
our men are getting awfully tired. Just climbing these hills
day after day is enough to wear them out.
The Marines suffered severe losses during the first
2 weeks of June 1951. Writing to Chaplain Salisbury,
Kelly reported that in one 36-hour period, some 500
patients had been received at "A" Medical Company.
The work there for the chaplains became so heavy
that four attached to other units of the Division as-
sisted the three chaplains who were serving with the
Medical Battalion. By the middle of the month,
however, the daily number of Marines listed as
casualties began to decline.
Regarding the tactical situation Kelly wrote to
Chaplain Salisbury in this same letter of 15 June:
The resistance in our area has been very stiff. The enemy
have thrown a terrific amount of mortar and artillery.
Since they have held high ground with good observation,
the mortar and artillery has been very accurate; hence the
terrific damage to our men. They must have our locations
zeroed in. Up till Wednesday the weather was bad and
made air support impossible. They also have the quaint
practice of rolling hand grenades down the hills on top of
our men coming up. They have heavily mined the area
through which we are moving. We have lost 10 tanks to
land mines in a very short time.
One other award, and an unusual one, was given
a chaplain at this time. Chaplain Joseph C. Fitz-
gerald, serving with the 11th Marines, the Division's
artillery regiment, had utilized every available means
of transportation to reach his separated units. He
was now cited for the Air Medal for "making 21
flights over enemy territory, where the plane could
have received fire from unfriendly forces." The
period covered was 22 December 1950-9 June 1951.
Comic Relief
A lighter note in the story of the chaplains' activ-
ities during these days of fighting is found in an ex-
perience of Chaplain Richard T. Peeters, serving in
the 7th Marines. One day a group of Marines were
resting a short distance behind the front lines. Sud-
denly they were alerted by a shout from Chaplain
Peeters: "Hey, look what I've got!"
To the amazement of the Leathernecks, there strode
their chaplain up the dusty Korean road with four
ragged enemy soldiers following him! In answer to
the incredulous queries as to how an unarmed chap-
lain happened to be taking prisoners, Chaplain
Peeters explained. He was just looking through some
empty Korean houses when the four Chinese soldiers
ran out with their hands in the air and surrendered.
Noticing the cross on his uniform, one of the Chinese
kept shouting: "You ding hao. You ding hao." In
the Mandarin dialect "ding hao" means "very good."
The Chinese may or may not have known of the
existence of chaplains with the Marine units. How-
ever, the very fact that they noticed the cross on the
Chaplain's uniform is evidence that they knew he was
a Christian and would undoubtedly exercise mercy
in receiving them.
After hearing Peeters' account of what must go
down in the history of the Chaplain Corps of the U.S.
Navy as an unprecedented experience, one of the
listening Marines deflated any pride the chaplain may
have felt in his exploit by saying: "Everyone's takin'
'em today." Chaplain Kelly, reporting this incident
to the Chief in his letter of 15 June, added: "These
1st Division chaplains are a rugged people."
Chaplain Peeters, for devoted service from 10 May
to 29 June, was awarded the Letter of Commenda-
tion. Part of his citation follows:
During that period, in which the battalion was constantly
in contact with the enemy, Chaplain Peeters' untiring efforts
on behalf of the front line personnel were a source of marked
pride to the entire command. Time and again on every
critical operation, under the most adverse physical conditions
and under fire from the enemy, which included heavy enemy
mortar and artillery fire of the most intense variety, he
worked feverishly at the forward aid stations to help the
wounded and minister to the dying.
— 80
Emergency Call. Immersion.
When communications failed at a forward aid station during Chaplain John E. Hollingsworth conducts a baptismal service
the fighting, Chaplain Joseph P. Trodd made a hurried at a Marine command post,
trip over treacherous roads to call for a helicopter to
evacuate two wounded men.
Operation Polaroid.
Chaplain Rickel takes a picture of Chaplain Trower talking with a marine wounded the day the picture was taken. The
camera develops the print in just a few minutes and the print is given to the man.
81
Ministry to Wounded
It will have been noticed that one of the most fre-
quently occurring references to chaplains' work con-
cerns their ministry to casualties. Recalling the ad-
vance to the Punchbowl, Chaplain G. A. Bingaman
wrote: "During June 1951 nearly 1,500 Marines
passed through an emergency aid station we had set
up in a 3 -day period of crisis. Two doctors, two
corpsmen, and three chaplains met a tremendous need
in a situation described later as 'light action on the
east-central front.' " Chaplain J. D. McDonald com-
mented that, besides administering the last rites of his
church to Catholic personnel, he prayed with men of
all denominations when wounded or dying. Chap-
lain Henry H. Hayes recalled that it was "standard
procedure in his battalion aid station to refer all men
admitted with 'combat fatigue' to the chaplain before
being evacuated or else returned to duty."
Services
Letters and reports from combat chaplains fre-
quently referred to the Marines' appreciation for their
presence. Many a brief religious service was held for
a small group in a bunker or improvised shelter, when
the chaplain would simply read a passage of Scripture
and lead in prayer. Sometimes even in advanced sit-
uations Protestant chaplains would administer the
Lord's Supper, while Roman Catholic chaplains
would hear confessions and say Mass. Chaplains re-
ported numerous instances where the men themselves
took the initiative in conducting devotional services.
Many Testaments, prayer books, and items of devo-
tional literature were distributed.
Chaplain Jesse L. Swinson (a one time outfielder
for the Boston Red Sox) reported: "As Chaplain to
the Tank Battalion I was invited by my men to ac-
company them on patrols in enemy territory, which I
did, and I felt it was appreciated by them. I always
encouraged them to pray, and Holy Communion was
available to them before and during each engage-
ment."
Chaplain Keene H. Capers, who was with the 1st
Marines during some bitter fighting, wrote :
The mere presence of a chaplain can have a tremendous
influence on the fighting spirit of a battalion or a ship. For
a man who has been on the line for some time the sight of
the chaplain walking the lines specifically to talk to him, if
he wants to talk, can affect that man's staying power. Act-
ing as a mailman, carrying fruit juice, or any practical
demonstration of the chaplain's abiding interests in the wel-
fare of the men can give truth to the words he speaks to them
in his sermons. A chaplain must be where he is needed
regardless of personal inconvenience or danger.
Hill 676
During the advance to the Punchbowl, the 1st Ma-
rines had its fiercest struggle assaulting the ridges over-
looking the Hwachon Reservoir from the northeast.
The battle raged most of June 9-10. A firsthand ac-
count may be found in the following letter which
Chaplain Henry E. Austin wrote several days later to
some of his friends. (Hills in this mountainous area
were most frequently razor-sharp peaks ; they received
their names from their height, given in meters. ) Aus-
tin's letter is so vivid in its description and so revealing
in its account of the work of combat chaplains that it
is given in its entirety.
Office of the Chaplain
2d battalion 1st marines
F.P.O. San Francisco, Calif.,
13 June 1951.
Dear Friends : Many thanks for your prayers and in-
terest in my work. I received a backlog of 14 letters today —
up on the top of bloody Hill No. 676 — elevation: 2,000 feet
straight up! Some time ago, I said that I honestly thought
we had the best battalion in the 1st Marine Regiment and in
the entire 1st Division for that matter. Yesterday we met
the test and our men covered themselves with glory — via the
time-honored "Blood, sweat, and tears" route.
At the moment, I have my foxhole dug right on the top of
676 which we paid for with 261 men wounded and 16 men
killed. Last night was our roughest night, since I joined
the 2d Battalion, so I stayed up all night and helped the
doctors. It was 4 a.m. before we could evacuate the first
wounded, because we had to carry them over 21/? miles along
a mountain ridge under enemy fire in the drizzly-dark. I
helped as stretcher bearer, prayed with the seriously wounded
and dying, gave out cigarettes [and] water, and tried to give
some comfort to the men.
Some of the wounded who walked in got lost in the dark.
We had to observe strict blackout regulations, but all were
eventually accounted for. Everyone cooperated and did a
magnificent job. Col. "Big Foot" Brown personally came
by the evacuation point and thanked both the doctor, the
corpsmen, and the "padre" for seeing all the wounded. Four
artillery shells "hit the area" at that moment, so both he,
the "Doc," and I "hit the deck" at the same time.
One thing that made Hill 676 tougher than any mountain
I've seen since Suribachi on Iwo Jima was the fact that we
had no air-support due to bad weather. Then, since the
slope was very steep, the artillery could only continue to a
certain point. The Chinese and North Koreans were really
dug in and poured murderous concussion grenades, machine
gun and burp-gun fire, plus mortars down our throats (lit-
erally), so in the Marine tradition our battalion took the
objective on blood and guts alone. In the face of what
looked like annihilation, our men stormed up 676 and se-
cured the same at 2115 (9:15 p.m.) Sunday, June 10.
I never prayed more sincerely in my life and God blessed
us, because most of the wounds of our men were clean, and
82
I think the majority of our wounded will live. The view
from my foxhole is beautiful, and one thing is sure — I'll never
forget this mountain.
We expect to hold a special thanksgiving service tomorrow.
You'd be interested to note "The Secret Place" reading for
June 10 was entitled "A Mountain to Climb" — coincidence,
isn't it: Keep praying — God is blessing, over 200 men have
accepted Christ out here, and to date I have baptized 97 of
our fighting Marines.
Sincerely,
(S) H. E. Austin.
H. E. Austin.
Writing again to his friends on 8 July, Austin re-
ported that his unit had been sent back to a rest area
and that he was about to be detached to another
unit. He wrote:
I have just finished holding my final service with the 2d
Battalion. Our Regimental Commander and Battalion Com-
mander, along with 240 men, were present. Our Marine
choir sang and it was a very touching service. We have a
beautiful outdoor chapel here in the regimental rest area.
Seven more men made a profession of faith in Christ today
and I am baptizing them this afternoon in the clear waters
of the Hwachon Reservoir. (My 110th since February 28.)
The Lord has been at work in our midst, and I am very
thankful for the prayers of my friends.
Chaplain Austin was relieved in the 1st Marines by
Chaplain George R. Brosius and assigned to the 1st
Combat Service Group at Masan.
"Such a Man as I"
A splendid illustration of how one chaplain — in this
case Keene H. Capers — dealt with a Marine facing
the stark face of fear in his life and helped him to
an answer founded upon religious faith is revealed
in the following story.11
A Marine captain of my acquaintance, fighting in Korea
when I was there recently, was well beloved of his men. One
day he and two other officers undertook a reconnaissance
patrol into enemy territory. One of the three tripped a
concealed wire which detonated an antipersonnel mine. The
popular captain was killed, the other two officers seriously
wounded.
I held memorial services for the captain whose courage
and devotion to duty had won the admiration and respect
of all. For my text I chose a sentence from the 6th chapter
of Nehemiah, the 11th verse: Should such a man as I flee?
As the service broke up I came across a young rifleman
whose presence there surprised me. We'll call him Sam.
I knew that Sam had been offered an opportunity to return
to the rear, so as I greeted him I asked, curiously, "What are
you doing here, Sam"? For reply he tossed back at me the
11 As told by K. H. Capers to Ken Jones. First published
in the magazine Brief (December 1952) under the title "I
Was With Your Boy in Battle." Republished as ch. Ill of
Ken Jones' book of Korean stories, / Was There (New York,
1953). Used by permission. The wording here follows that
of a typescript on file in the Chaplains Division, which is not
exactly reproduced in either of the published versions.
words of Nehemiah which I had just quoted: Should such
a man as I flee?
Without knowing the facts you might think that Sam was
being cocky. He wasn't. In that instant a 19-year-old boy
reached a magnificent pinnacle of inspired, determined, re-
sourceful, and responsible manhood. Let me tell you Sam's
story, which is typical of what many American boys are ex-
periencing in Korea today.
When I first met Sam he was "shook." That isn't good
grammar but it's mighty meaningful military slang, and as
the boys come home in greater and greater numbers from
the fighting fronts you're going to hear the word more and
more. The American fighting man in Korea who is "shook"
has reached the razor edge of emotional endurance. He's
had all he can take of mud, blood, and death. He may have
some resources of physical stamina left, but his nerves are
playing him false. His hands shake; his speech may be halt-
ing and almost unintelligible; an uncontrollable fear, which
he can't name, burns deep in his wide hollow eyes. It's an
easy condition to recognize. Among fighting men it reflects
no stigma of cowardice. Put under enough pressure any man
will be "shook." These boys are under pressure.
Our troops were seesawing back and forth over the 38th
Parallel at the time. It was early afternoon of a fine, clear
day. My tent had just been put up at the foot of a bluff
on the edge of a rice paddy. I sat at my portable desk ; the
Coleman lantern hung ready on the tentpole, and I was
sharing a desultory bull session with my tentmates, two
medical officers, and two TAC people — Tactical Air Control.
Sam walked up to the tent flap and just stood there. He
didn't say anything; he didn't have to say anything. I had
eyes to see, and what I saw made me rise quickly, although
I was careful to seem casual. "Suppose we take a walk,
son," I suggested as I stepped out of the tent and left the
others behind. This wasn't their kind of show.
We headed toward a shallow ravine at the edge of the
rice paddy, maybe 20 or 30 yards from the tent. Neither of
us said anything more at the moment. When we reached
the ravine Sam unslung his M-l from his shoulder and
placed it carefully on the ground. We squatted facing each
other on a small hummock which may, for all I know, have
been a Korean grave.
"Smoke . . .?" I held a pack of cigarettes toward the
boy, but he shook his head. I took the brief opportunity
while lighting my own cigarette to study Sam. He was
young — 19, as I learned later. His beard was scraggly, and
probably had been growing for weeks. He stood about 5
feet, 9; I guessed his weight at 140 pounds; and where I
could see his cheeks they were ruddy, although he was in-
credibly dirty.
Sam tried to speak after a moment, but emotional tension
had him in an iron grip. His jaws worked, but no sound
issued from his lips. Then without further ado, he burst into
a tempest of tears. I didn't move, but I spoke to him
softly, urging him to cry all he wanted to and pay no atten-
tion to me. I knew, of course, that the release he would
find through tears eventually would make it possible for him
to gain some measure of control. Deep sobs racked him but
after some minutes a quieter key crept in and finally, in a
flat, desperate, hopeless voice he told me: "Chaplain, I don't
know what's wrong, but I just can't go back on the hill!"
Sam wasn't the first boy I'd seen and talked with who
5.;:.:;.:;2 o— 60-
83
First Permanent Chapel.
Many services were held in Korea out in the open or in tem-
porary shelters. This permanent building with a seating
capacity of 200 served U.S. fighting men and Korean
Christians.
Chapel Dedication.
Chaplain Ross H. Trower talks with members of his con-
gregation after the dedication. The chapel was built in
two weeks.
"didn't know what was wrong" but who "couldn't go back
on the hill." And I knew at once that Sam wasn't afraid
of any rendezvous with death which might be waiting him
"on the hill." His problem was more subtle than physical
fear. Sam was afraid he would be afraid. If that seems an
anomaly, any man back from the fighting in Korea can
explain it to you. I'll try to explain it myself a little further
along, because it lies at the root of what's happening to
your man in this war. (I say "your man" advisedly.) You
may have sent away a boy, but a man will return in his
place, and of that you may be sure!
I got Sam talking about himself. He was an only child,
and he and his mother had been very close to each other
in the little midwestern town where they lived. As he talked
the boy pulled out a badly cracked snapshot and a much-
folded and grimy leaflet.
"That's my mom," he said simply, offering the snapshot
for my inspection. I studied the portrait of a rather pretty
woman who appeared on the youngish side — a typical, whole-
some, small-town mother.
"And here's my church bulletin," he added, unfolding the
grimy leaflet. "See — here's my name, right here!" The
church bulletin, I noted, was dated sometime ago, and an-
nounced that Sam was slated for service in Korea. He'd
been carrying it with him as a pitiful link with a safe past
amid the confusion and death of battle. But, as he said,
there was his name, right there.
The rest of my conversation with Sam need not be de-
tailed here.
I reminded him that we were not alone — that there was
Another present — and that if he really wanted to, we three
could lick any situation. I also pointed out to him — and
this is terribly, terribly true — that it's easier for us to be
courageous as we get older and experience more things. Sam
was pretty new to combat. I knew that if I could help him
overcome his fear of fear itself — get him to want to go back
up there on the hill some way — half of his battle would be
won. He was at the low point through which every man
must pass on the road to becoming a battle-seasoned veteran.
Things couldn't possibly get any worse for Sam ; they could
get a lot better if he rose to the challenge.
Eventually, we got to talking about the prospects of hot
chow — always an absorbing speculation at the front. Then
I sent Sam to the nearby river with instructions to jump in,
dunk himself in the shallow water, relax, soak up as much
sunshine as possible, and pick me up at my tent later in the
afternoon. Before the sun set I walked with Sam back up
the hill to his unit, and I left him with the reminder, "Son,
don't forget you're never alone. There's always One other
with you!"
It was a month after this little episode that Sam appeared
at the memorial service for the captain. I taxed him with
the query, "I hear you turned down a chance to go down
the hill?" And he gave me the ringing answer: Should such
a man as I flee? An American man had been born.
First Permanent Chapel
The 1st Combat Service Group, located in the vi-
cinity of Masan, achieved the distinction of having the
first "permanent" chapel of any Marine group in
Korea. ("Permanent" meant anything not a tent.)
Consisting of a double Arctic Quonset hut, erected on
the initiative of the command, the chapel was dedi-
cated on 20 May 1951.12 At a military ceremony at
0930 the chapel was presented by the commanding
officer, Col. John H. Cook, Jr., USMC, and accepted
by the senior chaplain, Arthur M. Kulinski. Regu-
larly scheduled Divine Services followed. In the after-
noon Chaplain Ross H. Trower presided at a Protestant
Service of Dedication, at which the choir of the Chung
Ang Methodist Church sang. At the Roman Catholic
Dedicatory Mass music was furnished by the choir of
the Masan Catholic Church. Besides military person-
nel from neighboring Army activities and the destroyer
escort WISEMAN, guests included other chaplains in
the area and local Korean Christian clergy.
12 Information from material on file in the jacket of Chap-
lain Ross H. Trower in the Chaplains Division.
84
In presenting the chapel Colonel Cook began by
saying :
One of the finest traditions of American military life is the
desire of men to build a House of God wherever duty may take
them. In addition to providing a place of worship, it gives
beauty to things sometimes drab, its skyward-pointing cross
inspiring men to finer living.
Recalling how so many activities had built chapels dur-
ing World War II, "taking the materials at hand to
fashion some kind of suitable place of prayer," the
Colonel continued: "Today we dedicate a new and
beautiful chapel in this command. Its doors are being
opened while we are continuing projects to build quar-
ters, shops, offices, and recreational facilities." He
concluded:
It is my pleasure to present this chapel to the officers and
men of the 1st Combat Service Group [that it may be dedi-
cated] to the worship of Almighty God. May the prayers
that are said here be for the comfort of our comrades in arms,
for the realization of freedom through the world, for the
binding together in love of our families, and for the hope of
peace among men.
Maruie Air
During the intense fighting incurred in the drive
toward the Punchbowl the Division had, fortunately,
the close air support of elements of the 1st Marine Air-
craft Wing. The Wing was still under operational
control of 5th Air Force, with a joint operational center
at Seoul; but after two squadrons had been installed
on an airstrip at Hoengsong (K-4b), by informal ar-
rangement 5th Air Force designated them to provide
support for the hard-pressed Division.13 That ar-
rangement continued until 13 July; by then the truce
talks had begun and the Hoengsong field was closed
for repairs.
As the period under review in this chapter opened,
the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing was disposed as follows:
Wing Headquarters and Marine Aircraft Group 12,
with three squadrons, were at Pusan; Marine Air-
craft Group 33 was at Pohang with two squadrons;
and VMF-312 was operating from the light carrier
BATAAN. Late in May the forward air strip was
opened at Hoengsong with the arrival of VMF-214,
followed in June by VMF-312, while VMF-323 went
aboard the SICILY.
New Wing Chaplain
On 16 May Ernest R. Barnes reported to relieve
John P. Murphy as 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Chap-
lain. Barnes had come from the PHILIPPINE SEA
and Murphy reported there on 2 June. In his first
letter to the Chaplains Division, Barnes wrote that
he had spent a day at Marine Aircraft Group 33 with
Chaplains J. H. Markley and C. E. Webb.
Among other things John [Markley] and I visited MGCIS-
3 unit out on a coastal point about 22 miles away. There
are roughly 200 people attached. Following their morning
services at MAG 33 John and Charlie [Webb] go out to the
point for services, returning in time for afternoon Mass and
evening vespers at MAG 33. I would say that chaplain
coverage up there has been excellent. The field is known
as K-3 and is located on the east coast near Pohang.
13 Montross, "Advance to the Punchbowl," pp. 2 If.
Chaplain Arthur M. Kulinski celebrates mass at the Catholic
dedication ceremonies of the new chapel
Colonel Cook presenting the chapel. Chaplain Kulinski is
at his immediate right and Chaplain Trower is on the
right of Chaplain Kulinski.
— 85
Things were pretty quiet by then in the vicinity of
Pohang — or so it seemed. "By May of 1951 [Chap-
lain Markley and I]," wrote Chaplain Webb in his
questionnaire reply, "had become so confident that
we no longer felt that we needed the help of our
assistant who had been accustomed to 'ride shotgun'
with us on our trips to a radar station some 20 miles
from K-3."
Emboldened by the show of friendship of the natives along
the way, I decided there would be no danger in making the
trip alone on Monday nights [for a study class], and forth-
with dispensed with the company of PFC Choyce Hoy, our
genial assistant from Dallas, Tex. On 21 May 1951, while
making this trip in a jeep that could not be moved out of
second gear because of a mechanical defect and which re-
quired, as a result, to be stopped several times along the way
to allow it to cool off, an untoward incident occurred.
About 2200, while returning from the radar station, I
had stopped the jeep for about the third time to allow the
cooling-off process to set in. Walking down the road a short
distance for a bit of exercise, I heard a noise behind me and
turned to find a Korean native about 5 yards away coming
stealthily in my direction with what looked like the largest
knife I had ever seen gleaming in his hand. His intentions
were obviously evil, and in the ensuing struggle I was for-
tunate enough to take away from his knife and throw him
over a steep embankment ; after which I ran back to the
jeep and drove to the base at high speed with no more
delays. . . . Needless to say, the remaining Monday eve-
nings on which I went to the radar station were in the
welcome company of PFC Hoy.
At least one had been overlooked in the Division's
famed "Pohang guerrilla hunt."
Chaplain Markley, who had been in Korea with
Marine Aircraft Group 33 since the early days of the
war, was relieved on 19 May by Chaplain Richard
D. Cleaves. Cleaves and Webb continued work on
the Quonset chapel, the start of which has earlier
been noted. Barnes in his first letter to the Chaplains
Division referred to it as "probably the first permanent
Marine chapel in Korea," but as we have seen, Com-
bat Service Group, not having to depend on volunteer
labor to insert 11,000 screws, built their chapel in 4
days, and dedicated it 2 days before Barnes wrote.
Further Activities
Barnes' letter to the Chief of Chaplains continued :
The airfield here is K-l [Pusan]. We have the Wing
Headquarters and MAG 12 on this side of the field and on
the other side MACG-2 (Marine Air Control Group 2) and
an Army antiaircraft battery' of about 200 men. The Ma-
rine Ground Control Interceptor Squadron and the Marine
Tactical Air Control Squadron came out piecemeal but now
a command unit has arrived, namely MACG-2, with a lull
colonel in charge to coordinate the whole activity. They
have a T/O for a chaplain as well as a doctor: the latter is
already here. The CO was asking me yesterday and again
today how soon he could expect his chaplain to arrive. They
have 800 people. . . .
The Wing coordinates' its air support and movements to
the need of the Division. As the situation changes they
move their closeup fields. ... In order to give proper cov-
erage for the fluid and widely scattered aspects of this organ-
ization, it seems important that we obtain enough chaplains
to fill our T/O. Presently we are understrength by two.
One Catholic and one Protestant would seem a minimum.
He wrote that the Marine Aircraft Wing units at
Itami, Japan continued to be covered by civilian
priests and Air Force Protestant chaplains. Later,
on 26 June, he would write that he had visited Japan
and hoped to borrow a chaplain, if only for a few
months, from Chaplain Walter A. Mahler, Staff
Chaplain, Commander Naval Forces, Far East.
"Counting transients and R&R [rest and rehabilita-
tion] personnel, Itami usually has about 1,700 there."
Speaking of chapels, Barnes' survey report
continued:
The chapel here is just a bare Japanese prefab building
used for lectures, movies, and Divine Services. It is closely
flanked on one side with a new Quonset NCO Club and on
the other by the enlisted beer hall. My request for a Quonset
Chapel has been turned down by the Chief of Staff. He has
agreed to designate the present building as chapel only and
make some improvements. However I don't see how he will
be able to avoid using it for lectures and when cold weather
comes, for movies. Also the location is undesirable.
I wish a high level decision would be reached that at all
Marine and naval establishments, when transition from field
tents to permanent buildings is initiated, chapels be assigned
at least as high a priority as beer halls, NCO clubs, and officer
clubs. I have a feeling the American taxpayer would want
it that way.
Whether the latter opinion be true or not, many an-
other chaplain has echoed the underlying sentiment
here expressed.
Barnes had another constructive criticism to
register.
At the present time there are only two enlisted men in the
Wing with spec, number [military occupational specialty:
MOS] as chaplain's assistant. I have recommended to G-l
that appropriate request be initiated for four more. The
struggle for clerks is so keen that the chaplain hardly has a
chance. My contention is that if BuPers fills the T/O with
six clergymen, the least the Marines can do is make every
effort to supply six assistants.
This too would elicit a hearty Amen from many a
chaplain.
On Barnes' second Sunday in the Wing, 27 May,
an offering was taken at the Protestant service for
the Chosin Presbyterian Seminary, formerly located
in Seoul but now established in tents in Pusan.
Among the entries for that date in the official Wing
86
Diary is that of the Chaplain Section, where Barnes
notes that the offering amounted to $72. 14 In the
afternoon he visited the seminary and presented the
Marines' gift to the 5 teachers and 108 students.
Some of the chaplains' work was reminiscent of
stateside duty.
We are operating our Navy Relief drive about a month
later than stateside. I think it will go off well. I have not
done much with it except to set it up and run off some
dodgers for distribution. El Toro Navy Relief has been very
good to our people. It is hoped that their appreciation will
be shown by their contributions.
Barnes would later report that $1,694.80 was con-
tributed and remitted by the command to the Navy
Relief Auxiliary. Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro,
Calif.
Supplies were of course a continuing problem.
Barnes noted that the Army had set up a warehouse
for chaplain supplies at Pusan to serve all chaplains in
Korea, including the Marine Division and Air Wing.
Shortly after John Murphy departed, Kelly was here from
the Division. We worked out plans whereby I will ship air
freight to him the expendable supplies he needs for his
chaplains.
Noting that the Army Chaplains' Warehouse would
also share books, magazines, and comfort kits, Barnes
reported that he had already shipped Chaplain Kelly
27 boxes of such items.
On 29 June Chaplain James A. Sullivan reported
as relief for Chaplain Webb, who departed 2 July.
The Chaplain Section of the Wing was still under-
staffed; because of the particular dispersal of the
Wing's various units, the Itami contingent had no
chaplain at all and needed one pressingly. Barnes
wrote that as soon as his complement should be filled,
he would detach one chaplain there. Chaplain Salis-
bury wrote in reply :
Up to this moment we have not been able to improve your
situation. Our shortage of chaplains is proving very em-
barrassing, and we are frequently forced to do things which
we would not prefer to do. Let us hope matters improve in
the near future, once our involuntary recall program has
swung into high gear.
ComXai/FE
The expansion of Admiral Joy's command during
the early months of the war led to the establishment of
a Staff Chaplain billet for ComNavFE. The first to
be assigned was Chaplain Walter A. Mahler. Ordered
from supervision of the Reserve program in the Chap-
lains Division. Mahler reported on 20 November
1950. Arriving in Yokohama the chaplain was con-
* Filed in the Library. Historical Section, G-3, Headquar-
ters. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.
fronted with taking a bus which was carrying all naval
personnel to Yokosuka. Writing to Chaplain Salis-
bury, he described his adventures in characteristic
vein :
Three of us were assigned to Tokyo and we tried to talk
our way there. No luck; and since our luggage was all
headed for Yokosuka we decided to trail along. We arrived
there tired, hungry', and dirty. I was determined to get to
Tokyo that day or bust. A LCDR aviator and a pay clerk
decided to string along with me. So, followed by my little
army of Two, I started out to find a way.
Going around the corner who do I bump into but [a mu-
tual friend]. Boy, I was never so glad to see anyone in my
life. Tears as big as baseballs welled up in my eyes. Wiping
the tears from his own, he officially welcomed me to Japan,
asking about the [Chaplains] Division and his old friends
SWS [Chaplain Salisbury] and DFM [Chaplain Meehan]. I
explained my situation. "Follow me," he says. That I did,
that I did, and in a short while we were on our way to
Tokyo with all our gear, in a truck.
Arrived in Tokyo the chaplain was billeted at the
Dai Iti hotel.
Last night I had quite an experience — I took a bath in a
Japanese tub. "Experience" is the only word for it. I had
been invited to Admiral Morehouse's [ComNavFE Chief of
Staff] home for dinner ... so thought I should scrub up a
bit. You won't believe it, but the tub was so crowded there
wasn't room for the soap! You get in with the aid of a
shoe horn. I managed finally to get myself out of the thing,
leaving bits of the tub hanging to me, and presented myself
at the Admiral's quarters right on time. Right now my
problem is this: Should I just be content with being the
dirtiest chaplain here or get another tub? Your advice will
be appreciated.
ComNavFE Chaplain Roster
On 6 July 1951 Chaplain Edward B. Harp, Jr.,
Pacific Fleet Chaplain, issued a roster of chaplains in
the Fleet and Pacific Ocean Area. The following slate
was then current in ComNavFE.
Force Chaplain W.A.Mahler CDR RC
ComNavFE D. R. Kabele LCDR LUTH
Commander Serv- S. E. Anderson LCDR BAP (S)
ice, Squadron 3.
Commander Serv- T. J. Burke LCDR RC
ice, Division 31.
Fleet Activities, J. E. Reaves LCDR METH
Yokosuka. E. D Bennett LT METH
J.J. O'Neill LT RC
J. L. Rernias LTJG RC
C. H. Swift, Jr. . . . LTJG DISC
H. E. Tillberg LTJG PE
Feet Activities, E. M. Turner LTJG BE
Sasebo
Naval Air Station, C. L. Sullenberger. LT CONG
Atsugi
Naval Hospital, C. VV. Lawler LCDR RC
Yokosuka C.H.Shackelford . . LCDR PRESBY
(USA)
87
Yokosuha
Chaplain Swift served in ComNavFE from Febru-
ary 1951 to July 1952. As Ships and Docks Chap-
lain, Yokosuka, one of his main duties was visiting
ships in the harbor. He reported some 355 separate
visits to ships ranging from landing ships to fast
carriers. Most had no chaplain; even on the largest
there might be only one, and if he were Roman
Catholic Swift would offer to conduct Protestant wor-
ship. In his questionnaire he recalled the following
incident:
On one particular Sunday a service was scheduled for a
Destroyer Mine Sweep, to be held on the weather deck.
However, it was raining, and no other space was available.
Across the pier from this DMS was an LSD [Landing Ship,
Dock]. I contacted the officer of the deck and asked if the
LSD would be willing to act as host for the service. Ar-
rangements were made and the service transferred to the
LSD, with personnel from both ships in attendance.
The chaplain had additional duty at the Naval Air
Facility at nearby Oppama. Frequently "I would
conduct an early service with Holy Communion
aboard a ship, then conduct my regular service at
Oppama, and then take a third service aboard an-
other ship."
Representative as it must be thought to be of the
work of other ComNavFE chaplains, that of Swift was
different in at least one respect. Belonging to the
Disciples denomination, he practiced baptism by im-
mersion. Several persons were baptized in the swim-
ming pool in the early morning. "It was very peace-
ful," he wrote, "and I feel that God's Presence
hallowed the setting."
Swift also served as supply chaplain for the Far
East, setting up a supply center at Yokosuka and
shipping religious gear to chaplains in Korea and in
ships at their request. His supplies came out aboard
MSTS ships, under an arrangement with the Staff
Chaplain, MSTS, Pacific. Upon being transferred
to Sasebo, where there was no swimming pool, he
asked the maintenance officer to rig for him a portable
baptistery.
Instead, he selected a spot between the chapel and the
waterfront which was semisecluded and constructed a con-
crete baptistery. Not only did I use it, but it was made
available and used by ship's chaplains who practiced
immersion.
NEW JERSEY
The second battleship committed to action in the
Korean War was the NEW JERSEY, which received
its "baptism by fire" on 20 May 1951 at Kangsong.15
'" Cagle and Manson, op. cit., p. 306.
Moving on to participate in the siege of Wonsan,
she was hit on the 22d; one man was killed and three
wounded. Chester L. Hults, Episcopalian, was chap-
lain from October 1950 to January 1952. In his reply
to the Chaplains Division questionnaire, he noted that
the ship raised approximately $6,500 as a memorial
to that man. Upon returning to the United States
the gift was presented to the Damon Runyon Cancer
Fund, this organization having been chosen by vote
of the crew. Chaplain Peter H. Brewerton served as
the NEW JERSEY'S Roman Catholic "padre" from
January 1951 to January 1953.
Other Ships
Chaplains prosecuted their duties of many kinds.
Faber H. Wickham, in the ST. PAUL from July 1950
to August 1952, reported that during their first Ko-
rean tour they lost 8 shipmates, and during the second,
30. Many came to the chaplain for assistance in those
dark hours, he reported. "The sobering effect of
these events cannot be underestimated."
Chaplain Charles B. Robinson, assigned to the escort
carrier SITKOH BAY in July 1951, encouraged small
groups of men to arrange services of their own. He
reported that the Latter Day Saints personnel fre-
quently did so.
Charles W. Ackley reported a group of six men in
the submarine tender SPERRY planning to study for
the Christian ministry after discharge from military
service. He organized them into a "Pastors Class,"
meeting regularly on Friday noon, for study and dis-
cussion of their intended profession. Ackley also wrote
that he inherited and further developed "one of the
best hobby shops in the Pacific Fleet." He also gave
much attention to developing an excellent ship's li-
brary, a resource for study and recreation that chap-
lains have long considered it a privilege to encourage.
Collateral duties occupy a good deal of the chap-
lain's effort, especially on shipboard, where every
officer is likely to wear several hats. If sometimes a
chaplain has thought his commanding officer rather
trespassed on his primary responsibility of being a
clergyman, another has often thought that his collateral
ministry not only offered an avenue of service to men
not directly interested in his spiritual functions but
sometimes established relationships which paved the
way for future religious ministries.
Chaplain Merlin A. Ditmer, Jr., serving in the
BRYCE CANYON, a destroyer tender, from Novem-
ber 1950 to October 1952, wrote that he had organized
volunteer variety shows which entertained casualties in
the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan. Chaplain
L. C. M. Vosseler organized sightseeing tours in Japan
for his men in the TOLEDO whenever the ship's
schedule made it possible.
The following are excerpts from a letter written by
Chaplain Vosseler to the Chaplains Division, 4 August
1951.
Since reporting to the ship we have been in the Far East
much of the time. Is it anticipated that I'll be spending 2
years aboard? [He had been aboard then for 1 year.]
Recent months find Divine Services averaging over 100
per Sunday. Catholic Mass is arranged whenever possible.
In the past 4 months six Catholic chaplains, some of them
more than once, have come aboard for Confessions and Mass.
I have conducted services aboard HELENA, MANCHES-
TER, and ELDORADO.
Other duties include editing the daily press-news [serving as]
adviser to the ship's paper [membership on the] Recreation
Council, and attending Enlisted Recreation Committee
meetings.
Bible studies are conducted Wednesday evenings. A daily
radio program from the library is originated each day. The
chaplain reads the daily news, asks the crew a sports question,
and says an evening prayer. . . .
Commendation.
Chaplain Harold E. Meade, who served aboard the
PHILIPPINE SEA from August 1950 to May 1951,
received a letter of commendation award. His citation
reads in part: "He devoted himself tirelessly to daily
contacts with the officers and men, being especially at-
tentive to the embarked air group, and removed many
of their personnel problems in order to allow their full
attention to the operations."
Among the activities Chaplain Meade had described
in letters to the Chaplains Division was a March of
Dimes collection in the astounding amount of $9,281.
Upon hearing this Chaplain Mahler [Meade wrote]
"went off into grand, dramatic gestures."
From the practical standpoint, I wish to suggest that the
materials for ships afloat outside the continental limits for
drives such as March of Dimes, Red Cross, and Navy Relief
be sent as far as possible in advance. Our material arrived
on board on 23 January.
Meade had begun his letter, "As Little Boy Blue said
as he reached for his trumpet, 'I think I'll blow my own
horn.' " To which the Chief replied, "I trust you re-
member a famous sermon on the Sadducecs."
ComCruDesPac
Circuit-riding destroyer chaplains are an innovation
in the Chaplain Corps.10 After preliminary discus-
sion initiated by the then Chief of Chaplains William
N. Thomas, and (then) Atlantic Fleet Chaplain S. W.
"Navy Chaplains Bulletin (Fall, 1953), pp. 7-8, W. S.
Peck, "The Destroyer Chaplaincy."
Salisbury, a "trial run" was organized in 1949. The
years 1950 and 1951 saw the new program "shaken
down" and put on a working basis.
On 24 July 1950 billets were established for one
chaplain on the staff of each destroyer squadron com-
mander in the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, except for
destroyer escort squadrons. One chaplain was as-
signed to each Destroyer Force as staff chaplain, with
the rank (after February 1951) of commander.
The first chaplain to serve on the staff of Com-
mander Cruiser Destroyer Force, Pacific (both types
were incorporated into one Force in the Pacific Fleet)
was Richard P. Heyl, a Roman Catholic, who was
relieved in September 1950 by Raymond C. Hohen-
stein, Lutheran. Hohenstein served with ComCru-
DesPac until February 1953, when he was relieved by
Chaplain F. D. Hewitt, Jr. The Force headquarters
were in San Diego.
Chaplain Hohenstein was the first to hold the
Force Chaplain billet. He wrote in his question-
naire reply:
What made this duty somewhat other than ordinary was
the fact that the specific work at hand was to establish the
newly authorized program of placing chaplains in destroyers
on the staffs of DESRON [destroyer squadron] commanders
[and] of initiating activity in character guidance and lay
leadership in the DD [destroyer] and DE [destroyer escort]
type ships.
This involved public relations work with the squadron
commanders and commanding officers in connection with all
three of these fields; training the chaplains themselves (the
first ones reporting direct from civilian life to which they
had returned after World War II); and publicizing these
activities to the personnel of the command.
To accomplish the above, I personally conducted two
Divine Services each Sunday aboard various type ships, and
made periodic cruises in DDs, ADs destroyer tenders, and
CAs cruisers — to Mare Island, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; Pearl
Harbor, T.H. ; and Sasebo-Yokosuka, Japan.
It is of course impossible to mention (or, indeed,
at the date of this writing to discover) every chaplain
who served with destroyers in the war theater. The
roster of chaplains issued by the Pacific Fleet Chap-
lain in July 1951 listed the following under Com-
mander Cruiser Destroyer Force, Pacific.
Force Chaplain Hohenstein, R. C. . CDR LUTH
(MoSj I
BRYCE CANYON Ditmer, M. A LT PRESBY
ComDesRon 8 Fay, J. P LTJG RC
ComDesRon 16. . . . Harris, O. J LTJG BAPT
(S)
HAMUL Hunter, W. M LTJG REF
ComDesRon 3 . . . . Jeffers, H. \V LTJG ME III
PIEDMONT Keefe, J. M LT RC
89 —
Worship at Sea.
Chaplain Robert A. Yaughan conducts services aboard the DIXIE.
ComDesRon 1 1
ComDesRon 16.
ComDesRon 1 3
ComDesRon 1
ComDesRon 5 .
ComDesRon 7 .
La Duca. P. J' LTJG
Lee.E.Ji LTJG
Moran.J. L' LTJG
Powell, W. D LTJG
Smith, L. C LT
Thomas, J. R LT
RC
BAPT
(S)
BAPT
(S)
BAPT
(S)
LUTH
PRESBY
(USA)
METH
RC
RC
DIXIE Yaughan, R. A... LCDR
PIEDMONT Wolf, A. J.2 LT
PRAIRIE Wren, L.J LCDR
1 Ordered to report.
2 Ordered detached.
The ships listed were destroyer tenders.
Some notice has been taken already of the work of
chaplains assigned to destroyers operating in Korean
waters. Chaplain John R. Thomas reported amaze-
ment on the part of "tincan sailors" when he first
came aboard that the Navy was interested in them and
that chaplains were willing to serve aboard destroy-
ers! In 15 months of such duty he had made 23
transfers among the ships of DesRon 7. Chaplain
W illie D. Powell reported extending his destroyer min-
istry- to three British ships, finding excellent attendance
at Divine Service. (He also reported holding services
on a British hospital ship.) Powell served in Com-
CruDesPac from February 1951 to January 1952.
Many chaplains reported that they organized re-
ligious schedules in each of the ships of their squadron
so that, during the chaplain's presence in one of them,
the personnel of the others would be prepared to carry
on weekly Bible classes, Rosary services, and even Sun-
day Protestant worship. This was of course part of
an expanded emphasis upon lay leadership which was
everywhere receiving attention during this period.
Destroyers are often referred to as the "work horses"
of the fleet. Certainly their chaplains worked as hard
as the other "tincan sailors," and by their efforts suc-
cessfully pioneered one further area in which the
Chaplain Corps was learning to carry on its mission.
Why We Fought
Over and over again chaplains wrote to the Chief
that an important part of their work was trying to
give their men satisfactory answers to the frequently
asked question, "Why must I be here?" Though it
bore more urgently upon the men in the war zone
and upon their families, it was a question on the lips
of many others, especially Reserves whose peacetime
lives had been interrupted by sudden recalls to active
duty. And indeed it was a question the nation asked
itself repeatedly.
One answer, which may commend itself to some,
was given in a memorandum by Col. W. S. Brown,
Regimental Commander, 1st Marines, issued on 14
— 90 —
June 1951. summing up the regiment's operations dur-
ing the preceding 2 weeks. Colonel Brown wrote :
A lot of comrades, officers and men, have died or been
injured in this "police action." I fear that more, very prob-
ably, will be before it is over. But you are making tradi-
tions of valor and professional skill that will rank alongside
of, or outrank, the achievements of Marines of the First
World War, the Second World War, and all our minor cam-
paigns. And I urge you all to believe, whether or not you
are, or have been, religiously inclined, that in this struggle
for decency among men, we are fighting on the side of the
Lord. The Communists who oppose us are fighting to deny
His existence.
One thing at least is plain: The Communist in-
vasion of the Republic of Korea had shown itself a
serious menace to the spirit of freedom ; this was no
minor "police action," but full-scale war, and in the
balance lay the future of, at the least, common decency
among mankind. Just as plainly the balance had
been tipped by the United Nations forces in the di-
rection of victory.
Truce Talks
At this juncture the Communists made a new move.
On 23 June 1951 Jacob A. Malik, Russian delegate
to the United Nations, in a radio address in New York
suggested the possibility of truce talks in Korea.17
17 For brief introduction, see Cagle and Manson, op. cit.,
pp. 31 Off. ; includes extended quotation from (then) Rear
Adm. Arleigh Burke, Deputy Chief of Staff, ComNavFE, the
second Navy member of the UN delegation. Admiral Joy-
was, of course, head of the delegation.
Two days later the Chinese Communist regime un-
officially endorsed the proposal. The United Nations
Command immediately signified its willingness to dis-
cuss preliminary terms, and on 8 July truce negotia-
tions began at Kaesong, a site near the Parallel and
just inside the Communist lines. This date marks the
end of the 5th Korean Campaign.
The first meeting of the main delegations was sched-
uled for 10 July. Although the talks had begun, ac-
tual fighting did not stop, though limited to minor
skirmishing and patrol actions. Writing to Chaplain
Salisbury on the 10th, Division Chaplain Kelly said:
The best news that our Division received was the word
that we are to go into Corps Reserve of the X Army Corps.
The plan is that we are to pull out of the line and move
down near Hongchon for rest and training. The boys really
need the rest. It has been a long hard grind, and our casual-
ties have been heavy. We have been attacking and being
attacked since February. And during that time we stopped
two major offensives.
The move to the rest area was scheduled to begin
15 July. A little more than a year had passed since
North Korean forces had crossed the 38th Parallel, the
year of the heaviest fighting during the whole con-
flict. Five of the ten campaigns which would be rec-
ognized by the Defense Department had taken place
within this period. It remained to be seen whether a
military truce might be arranged which would allow
representatives of the contending powers to work out a
settlement for the political future of Korea.
91
CHAPTER 6
UNITED NATIONS SUMMER-FALL OFFENSIVE
9 July-27 November 1951
The last 2 years of the Korean War included few
outstanding military campaigns. The peace talks
which began in July 1951 dragged on through inter-
minable delays and exasperating double-talk until the
armistice was finally signed on 27 July 1953.1 There
were of course combat operations during these 2 years;
the Department of Defense has recognized five dis-
tinct campaigns, each of which entitles personnel who
participated in it a battle star on the Korean Service
ribbon. For the most part limited to actions seesaw-
ing back and forth from one hill to another, for the
men who fought in them these operations were never-
theless often as perilous and always more monotonous
than had been the more renowned battles of the first
year of the war — and mostly without the glory. War
has a way of becoming commonplace to those on the
"home front."
Breathing Spell
The 1st Marine Division had enjoyed a brief respite
during the winter of 1950-51 at Masan. On 15 July
1951 it went into 8th Army reserve in the Hongchon
area, its second and last relief from the line until May
1953. Division Chaplain Kelly suggested to the
Chaplains Division that the truce talks might provide
a good time for rotation; but it was felt that until the
cease-fire negotiations should have taken effect, it was
best to leave the current rotation system in operation.
On 20 July Kelly held a meeting of the Division chap-
lains, which was addressed by Colonel Piatt, G-l (Di-
vision Personnel Officer) and Colonel Hager, G-4
(Division Logistics Officer). Both stressed the im-
portant work being done by chaplains and expressed
command appreciation for it. Chaplain Kelly em-
phasized the primacy of the chaplain's spiritual minis-
try and the importance of his own attitude toward
his work. "The job ahead of us," he told them, "is
tough, but we are dedicated to God and therefore we
'See C. Turner Joy, How Communists Negotiate (New
York, 1955). Foreword by Matthew B. Ridgway, and
Vatcher, Wm. Jr., Panmunjon (N.Y., 1958).
should be ready to make sacrifices. Certainly we all
want to go home when our time is due, but we must
not build up arguments with men for getting out of
here. We must help them to realize what personal
sacrifices may be required."
fn the rest area, although the Marines were engaged
in training, there was time for athletics and amateur
entertainment; the chaplains had a hand in arrang-
ing these. Kelly felt that they were also showing
"great ingenuity in constructing chapels."
From this period of relative quiet Chaplain Keene
H. Capers recalled the following delightful incident.
We had built a beautiful little chapel in a grove of trees.
The chapel area was surrounded by a rail fence made of
rough logs and painted white. The altar was made of
stone. Probably more than any other chapel, this one was
mine. I had cut the logs, carried the stones, built the fence.
We were having our regular Sunday morning service. I
had asked our Jewish chaplain, Elihu Rickel, to preach the
sermon. My organist, a Korean, was playing the prelude.
For some reason the music was not having its usual quieting
effect. There was more talking than usual, even laughter;
and then I realized what it was. The organist was playing
the old hymn "O Happy Day, That Fixed My Choice on
Thee My Saviour and My God." But to the Marines he
was playing "Nobody Knows How Dry I Am!"
Work Goes On
During these days Kelly was visited by Chaplain
Ivan L. Bennett, Staff Chaplain, Far East Command
(General Ridgway's command), Chaplain Tobey (8th
Army Staff Chaplain) and Chaplain Jones (X Corps
Staff Chaplain). At the request of Chaplain W. A.
Mahler, ComNavFE Staff Chaplain, Kelly lent him
Chaplain Austin on Temporary Additional Duty, with
the proviso that in case of emergency he would have
to be immediately recalled. Several chaplains had
been ill, usually with dysentery; Chaplains Uber and
Wissing both contracted hepatitis, and although Uber
was returned to duty after hospitalization aboard the
HAVEN in Pusan, Wissing had to be evacuated to
Japan and did not return to the Division.
92
Memorial Service, Hongchon.
Chaplain Francis W. Kelley gives the invocation at services held 3 August for marines who died in Korea. Behind him,
left to right, are: Maj. Gen. Gerald C. Thomas, Commanding General of the Division, Brig. Gen. William J. Whaling,
Assistant Division Commander, and Chaplain Rickel. Chaplain Hollingsworth also participated but is not pictured here.
On 3 August a memorial service was held in memory
of those Marines who had given their lives since 29 De-
cember 1950. Chaplain Kelly gave the invocation,
prayer was offered by Chaplain John E. Hollingsworth,
and the benediction given by Chaplain Elihu Rickel.
The address was given by Maj. Gen. Gerald C.
Thomas, Commanding General, 1st Marine Division.
A letter sent from General Thomas to bereaved families
included the following:
The ceremony . . . was held on a hillside in the valley of
the Hongchon River, in an area where a considerable number
of the heroes whom we gathered to honor had fallen. Several
thousand men of the Division attended, and I know that I ex-
press the heartfelt sentiment of each one present when I say
that we share fully in your sorrow and bereavement.
Chaplain Joseph C. Fitzgerald, 11th Marines Regi-
mental Chaplain, was cited for "meritorious serv-
ice .. . during operations against enemy aggressor
forces in Korea from 14 January to 15 July 1951," a
period stretching from the Pohang guerrilla hunt until
the Division went into reserve. The citation accom-
panying the Bronze Star reads in part :
An able and resourceful officer, Lieutenant Commander
Fitzgerald displayed exceptional understanding and confi-
dence in ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of the
men in the regiment. Exposing himself to intense enemy fire
on many occasions, he unfailingly gave immediate consolation
to the wounded, lending comfort to them in their distress.
Chaplain Joseph D. McDonald, Regimental Chap-
lain of the 1st Marines, was awarded a Gold Star in
lieu of a second Bronze Star. His citation, covering
93 —
the period 25 January to 17 July, includes the fol-
lowing :
Working under extremely trying conditions which in-
cluded 1 period of 43 consecutive days in the attack, he fre-
quently was busy day and night, evacuating and cheering the
many wounded, and often administering last rites on the front
lines, with no regard for the danger involved nor his own
fatigue.
The roster of chaplains submitted on 1 August
showed that the Chaplains Division had on the whole
been successful in its rotation policy. Seventeen of
those included in the roster of 21 April had been re-
turned stateside, and 15 chaplains had reported since to
the 1st Marine Division. Recent arrivals had been
assigned as follows:
Service Bn Stanley I. Rav LT PRESBY
(USAi
Shore Party Bn .. . . Bashford S. Power . LTJG METH
Motor Transport . . John L. Wissing. . LT RC
5th Marines Donald \V. Jollv LTJG PRESBY
(U)
Medical Bn Robert J. Schneck . LT LUTH
A feeling of tense expectancy enveloped the
Marines in their rest area as rumors reached them
in August that the Communists were massing large
reinforcements of troops and supplies in the North.
Writing to Chaplain Salisbury on 11 August, Chap-
lain Kelly said: "There are over 650,000 Chinese
and North Koreans in North Korea. Including the
troops in Manchuria, they can muster a million men."
Allied aviators returning from reconnaissance over
enemy territory reported a tremendous number of
trucks heading south with supplies. The Marines
remembered how such signs were observed on previous
occasions before an enemy offensive. Kelly continued :
On August 15 we shall have been in reserve for a month.
That is about the length of time that a Division can expect
to remain in reserve. So it is generally expected that any-
time after that may find us committed to the lines. It is
generally felt that should the peace negotiations break down,
our Division will be called upon to make an amphibious
landing behind the enemy lines.
Kaesong Truce Talks
The cease-fire negotiations had begun when the
chief delegates met for the first time on 10 July,
Vice Adm. C. Turner Joy, Far East Naval Com-
mander, acting for the United Nations Command.
Lieutenant General Nam II was the spokesman for
the enemy. After settling on an agenda, they had
become stalled during August over the first item, the
demarcation of a buffer zone between the opposing
forces.
The United Nations delegation held out for a de-
militarized strip 20 miles deep in front of the current
UN line; the Communists insisted on a zone extending
10 kilometers on either side of the 38th Parallel.2
' Britannica Book of the Year, 1952; article, "Korean
Baptism.
The waters of the Hwachon Reservoir are used for baptism by Chaplain Austin on 11 July 1951.
4»»
ft
7
94 —
Besides requiring a serious withdrawal of UN forces,
the Communist proposal would have given the UN a
line 210 miles long as compared to the 125 miles they
then had to defend. The Parallel was an arbitrary
line with no military value and was, besides, objec-
tionable to the Republic of Korea as emphasizing the
artificial nature of the original division of Korea at
the end of World War II. On 23 August the prin-
cipal talks were broken off; for two months negotia-
tions were conducted by subordinates, largely over
alleged violations by one side or the other of the
neutrality of the Kaesong area.
During the early days of the talks it became evident
that the Communists were trying to accomplish by
devious wrangling what their armies had failed to
achieve by fighting. Any equivocation, any delay
that promised to serve their purposes was considered
justified.3 The UN Command became convinced that
they were using the lull to build up their defense in
depth; captured equipment proved that China was
supplying reinforcements. At the same time hope for
peace was stirring Americans to expressed resentment
of what had proved an unpopular war. Increasingly
Van Fleet would find his activities restricted by the
Far East Command, presumably acting on instructions
from Washington,4 which doubtless reflected wide-
spread unwillingness on the part of the people to sup-
port the war to a successful conclusion.
UN Offensive
The breakoff of the principal negotiations oc-
casioned by a walkout of the Red delegates on 22
August may have signalled their readiness to resume
large-scale combat. In any event, the United Nations
forces seized the initiative and during the last week
in August began attacking in eastern Korea."'
Movement of Marine units was begun on the night of
26 August, to relieve elements of the 2d Army Division
and the ROK 8th Division, deployed along the Kansas
Line on the southern fringe of the Punchbowl. A suc-
cessful thrust in this area would provide further se-
curity for the Hwachon Reservoir, the source of both
water and electricity for Seoul, and for the Chorwon-
Seoul rail line. One objective of this offense was the
Punchbowl itself, and on 31 August the 1st Marine
3 Cf. Joy, op. cit., passim. See also C. Berger, The Korea
Knot Philadelphia, 1957), pp. 141ff.; Cagle and Manson,
op. cit., pp. 310-321. Also helpful is ch. VIII of vol. IV
of the official history of U.S. Marine operations in Korea,
unpublished at the time of this writing.
1 Life (May 11, 1953), J. A. Van Fleet. The Truth About
Korea," p. 133.
Montross, unpublished vol. IV of the history of Marine
operations in Korea. Also Miller et al., op. cit., ch. VI.
Division with ROK Marine Units attached opened a
drive northward.
Writing to Chaplain Salisbury the next day, Chap-
lain Kelly commented on the difficult conditions under
which they were living:
Our Command Post has moved up pretty far. We are
approximately 4 to 5 miles behind the front line. Some of
the big artillery, is firing from behind us. It practically
knocks us out of our beds when they open up. Physically
this has been one of our toughest moves. We ran into a
rough, rainy period. When we arrived in our new C.P. we
found it a sea of muck. It rained for about 3 days steady.
We arrived on Monday and finally late Friday afternoon we
were able to move into our area and set up our tents. We
spent all day Saturday just trying to get set up and dried out.
11-18 September
September saw the Division engaged in heavy fight-
ing as they captured the Punchbowl and moved on to
secure the northwesterly leg of the Soyang River above
it. The worst of the fighting occurred between 1 1
and 18 September. On 11 September, as the 1st Bat-
talion, 7 th Marines was committed against a strongly
defended enemy position, Chaplain Richard T.
Peeters, Roman Catholic, and James S. Ferris, Meth-
odist, made their way to the forward aid station.
More details are supplied in the citations accom-
panying the Bronze Star awards subsequently given
these chaplains. That of Peeters read:
For 24 hours he gave spiritual and physical aid to the
many casualties arriving at his command post. Learning on
the following morning that the unit of which he was orig-
inally a member was about to be committed, he passed
through a valley subject to enemy artillery fire to rejoin it.
He again stationed himself at the forward aid station and
began to give assistance. In addition to his regular duties
he dressed wounds, organized stretcher parties, prepared hot
food for the wounded and assisted in numerous other ways.
Three times during the night he led native stretcher bearers
through mined areas and enemy fire to the rear aid station,
and on his return trips brought much needed supplies. When
all casualties had been evacuated, he volunteered to maintain
a security watch in order that the doctor and corpsman might
obtain some rest, and remained awake throughout the night
guarding the aid station. Only when the battalion was re-
lieved was his vigil ended.
The citation for Chaplain Ferris states in part:
Whrn the battalion was engaged in the attack of a strongly
fortified enemy position, he voluntarily stationed himself at
the forward aid station where he could provide religious
rites for, and succor to, the maximum number of Marines.
In addition, he rendered distinct service to the battalion
medical officer by organizing stretcher parties and performing
the duties of a corpsman when large numbers of casualties
were present. On one occasion, when a critically wounded
Marine was reported lying in an exposed area under heavy
95 —
enemy artillery fire, he unhesitatingly proceeded to the spot
where the wounded man lay and assisted in his evacuation.
He continued to give assistance for a period in excess of 48
hours without rest.
A third chaplain was decorated for devoted action
on that same 11 September. Henry H. Hayes, who
had previously received the Bronze Star, was given
the Letter of Commendation award. His citation
reads in part:
While under continuous fire from enemy artillery and
mortars, he fearlessly stationed himself at the forward aid
station, and with utter disregard for his own personal safety,
went about ministering to the wounded and providing them
the utmost in comfort and safety. When not performing
these duties, he voluntarily organized and dispatched
stretcher parties and medical supply trains to the infantry
companies. Through his determined efforts and unselfish
actions, the lives of many of the critically wounded were
saved.
Two Chaplains Wounded
Two chaplains received light wounds during this
period. Chaplain Ferris was wounded on 14 Septem-
ber. Hearing that the Marine artillery unit sup-
porting his regiment had received direct hits, Ferris
hurried to the place and en route was knocked down
by a shell which exploded about 10 feet from where
he was walking. A lad accompanying the chaplain
was killed. In a letter to Chaplain C. L. Drury (then
Chaplain Corps historian), dated 20 August 1956,
Chaplain Ferris described the event:
All I can say is that the good Lord was with me. It
wasn't until later that evening when I had returned to my
own outfit and was changing my clothes that I discovered
my clothes were covered with blood, not necessarily my own
blood. My clerk noticed I had a number of cuts on my
back. Thinking that there might be some small splinters of
shrapnel, I reported to sick bay and found everything to
be O.K.
An examination showed the wounds to be slight. How-
ever, Ferris was reported as a casualty and his wife
received a telegram to that effect before he could write
and let her know that he was not seriously injured.
The second chaplain wounded was J. E. Hollings-
worth. Somehow a report was circulated which
reached his wife at home that the chaplain had died
of his wounds; actually the wound was not serious
enough to require hospitalization. He would later re-
ceive the Letter of Commendation award for "excel-
lent service . . . during operations against the en-
emy . . . 20 April to 15 October 1951." His citation
includes the following:
Despite the threat of enemy action, he often held Divine
Services for the infantry companies within easy range of the
enemy positions. On one such occasion, he was wounded
while holding services. He refused to be evacuated until he
had reassured the Marines in their faith.
The "Medics"
If chaplains sometimes received decorations, and
often both silent and expressed respect and apprecia-
tion from their fellows, they in turn were warm in their
regard for the sacrificial spirit evidenced around them.
The Division's Jewish chaplain, E. H. Rickel, wrote
of one 30-hour period in which "A" Medical Company
cared for some 675 wounded Marines. Every man, he
wrote, from highly trained specialist to truck driver,
sweated and worked at furious pace according to his
skill. And he quoted with obvious approval the re-
mark of a surgeon, washing up after an extremely deli-
cate operation, "I'm damned proud to be a member
of this outfit. I've never seen anything like it."
About 8 o'clock on Sunday evening 80 men were
brought in from the enemy line; 78 turned out to be
ROK Marines, 2 were North Koreans. Accompanied
by interpreter and chaplain, a doctor began routine
admissions work. The Korean equivalent of "Where
do you hurt?" was repeatedly called out, as doctors
and corpsmen ascertained the extent and nature of
wounds and prepared initial charts.
The chaplain bent down to hold a canteen of water to the
mouth of one of the wounded enemy. A gleam of life flashed
into the half-closed almond-shaped eyes; he lifted his head
up, bowed in thanks, and drank deeply. A South Korean
Marine looked on with amazement and shouted, "He is the
enemy." The chaplain asked Yu to explain that here and now
there were no enemies, only wounded.
Chaplain Rickel's account continued :
The devotion to duty of the medical personnel was rein-
forced, was only equalled by the conduct of the wounded.
Faces showed pain, involuntary anguished moans escaped, but
at no time did anyone hear loud outbursts. The wounded
waited patiently, with closed eyes, tight lips, and gratitude
that they were still alive.
And when they did talk, this is what one heard. "I'm
okay, Doc, take care of him." "Do you think I'll make it,
chaplain? Gee, my poor wife, she'll be so hurt." "Pray for
me, padre, I promised my little boy that I'd take him on a
camping trip when I got back."
As one warrant officer said, if that number ever hit
a hospital in the States, they'd have to declare a city-
wide emergency. But men can and do rise above
themselves, above what they commonly think is ex-
pected of them and indeed expect of themselves.
Perhaps, as Rickel said, "You have to see it to believe
it"; but when it happens, one can only pause in
humble gratitude.
96
Chaplain Harold H. Cummings also worked with a
medical company during these harrowing days. Al-
most overwhelmed with casualties, the "medics"
worked around the clock, and the chaplain along with
them. Later he was cited for the period 15-21 Sep-
tember, being awarded the Letter of Commendation,
which speaks of his spending "approximately 18 hours
a day administering spiritual aid to wounded and
dying Marines."
Vignettes
Two incidents from the heavy fighting in Septem-
ber, 1951 may serve to document the experience of
chaplains in combat. The 3d Battalion, 1st Marines
was on the east coast north of the 38th Parallel. Mov-
ing up with the forward aid station, Chaplain K. H.
Capers would set up what came to be known as the
"Chaplain's Galley." There "honest-to-goodness"
coffee and even steak, bacon, and eggs were offered
casualties and battle-weary Marines who chanced by.
The helicopter pilots evacuating the wounded would
replenish the larder on their return trips.
On one occasion, when the aid station had just
moved forward, it became impossible for bearers to
evacuate litter cases over the mountainous terrain to
the rear aid station. Until helicopters should arrive,
there was a long wait. Capers rigged for church, 65
stretchers providing "pews" for that many seriously
wounded, with less serious casualties sitting around.
The chaplain's organist, Pak, interpreted for the
enemy casualties, among whom was a North Korean
officer, seriously wounded, who had refused coffee and
cigarettes and had sneered at the chaplain's efforts to
be comforting. During the service, however, he ap-
peared to be listening and afterward asked to talk to
Capers. Pak interpreted : "The prisoner says that he
knows the imperialists are butchers and show mercy
only to gain their own ends. But he says he likes that
Man you were talking about and would like to save
your life. He says you'd better get out of here be-
cause the North Koreans are going to attack tonight
in great strength to rescue him, and if you don't es-
cape you will be killed with the rest of the Americans."
In fact, the Communists did not attack, though they
were well able to do so. But that Communist pris-
oner had been provided every ministry our own troops
received and was evacuated by helicopter with our
own wounded.
Chaplain Capers was given the Letter of Com-
mendation award for service during the period 27
April-9 October. His citation reads in part: "He
moved with the battalion under all conditions and re-
mained with the forward aid station where his work
could best be performed. His faith and sincere in-
terest in all gave strength to the wounded and the
weary."
Further Awards
By the third week in September fighting in the 1st
Marine Division sector of X Corps front began to
show results. There was much more to come, how-
ever, both in the 2d Infantry Division's sector, and
further west, along the IX Corps front.
A fifth chaplain, Joseph P. Trodd, would be
awarded the Bronze Star for outstanding service dur-
ing this period, specifically for 16 September-8 Oc-
tober. While his battalion was engaged with enemy
forces in the vicinity of E-dong, Trodd remained at
the forward aid station, assisting with the casualties.
Taking no thought for his own danger or fatigue,
tirelessly he ministered to the men who passed
through the aid station, offering solace and reassur-
ance and spiritual strength.
Three others received the Letter of Commenda-
tion: Chaplain Donald W. Jolly for excellent service
during the period 8 July-18 October; Arthur M.
Kulinski for 25 August-27 October; and William A.
Taylor for the period 9 May- 19 November 1951.
Jolly was in the 5th Marines. His citation espe-
cially mentions an occasion when the command post
was subjected to artillery barrages; the chaplain
"moved about the area fearlessly, giving comfort and
spiritual aid to the wounded men, and through the
night maintaining a cheerful conversation. . . ."
Chaplain Kulinski was serving in the Medical Bat-
talion. He followed an exhausting schedule to pro-
vide Roman Catholic ministrations for adjacent units
lacking a chaplain of that faith. "He voluntarily
spent many hours at the medical companies, minister-
ing spiritual reassurance and comfort to the wounded.
When an artillery unit was subjected to the counter-
battery fire, he proceeded to that unit to make him-
self available for those wounded who sought comfort
in his encouragement and confidence."
Taylor's award covers a long stretch, but his cita-
tion centers upon a particular incident when his regi-
ment (11th Marines) occupied positions in the area
of Yanggu.
He learned that an adjacent infantry regiment was suf-
fering heavy casualties and was endeavoring to evacuate its
casualties under serious handicaps and lack of facilities. He
promptly went to the regiment's aid and established commu-
nications, arranged transportation, and assisted in securing
additional medical aid for the wounded. When it began to
rain, he sought out blankets, ponchos, and shelter halves to
97 —
Care for the Wounded.
Chaplain J. P. Trodd administers rites to a wounded marine
as the corpsman gives him plasma.
A Letter Home.
Chaplain Elihu Rickel takes dictation at an aid station for a
wounded marine.
Makeshift Altar.
It is said "necessity is the mother of invention." Pictured
here is a demonstration of one of the methods used to set
up an altar near the front.
protect the wounded men. With complete disregard for
personal comfort and fatigue, he spent long hours, day and
night, at the evacuation relay point, giving comfort to the
casualties and writing letters home for them. During an-
other period, when two battalions of the regiment were being
subjected to daily counterbattery fire, he continued to make
frequent visits to the two units, comforting and inspiring
the wounded, as well as those who had to continue their
work under fire.
Chaplains serving in the Division during this Sixth
Korean Campaign received five Bronze Star awards,
seven Letter of Commendation awards, and two
Purple Heart awards. Approximately 50 percent of
the Chaplain Section were decorated, not considering
those who had earlier received citations or would
later do so. Never before in the history of the Navy
Chaplain Corps had so many from such a relatively
small group won such recognition in so short a time.
Chaplain Peck Comes Aboard
From 1 August until Chaplain Kelly was relieved,
the following new chaplains had arrived: Edmund
W. Pipho (Lutheran), James F. Follard (Roman
Catholic), Walter J. Vierling (Lutheran), Robert N.
Ruleman (Methodist), and John J. O'Neill (Roman
Catholic). On 10 September Kelly wrote to the
Chief:
Colonel Krulak asked me again the other day when an
Episcopal chaplain was coming. General Shepherd, FMF
Pacific, was here for a visit and commented that there is
no Episcopal chaplain in any part of FMF Pacific. I know
Krulak is Episcopal, so I guess General Shepherd must be
also.
Chaplain Kelly had been suffering from dysentery.
He wrote on 17 September that the doctors had or-
dered him to the hospital ship CONSOLATION; the
next day, upon his evacuation. Chaplain J. C. Fitz-
gerald was assigned duty as Division Chaplain until
Chaplain W. S. Peck, Jr., on his way as Kelly's relief,
should report in. Peck reported to the Division CP
on 8 October 1951 and Fitzgerald was detached to
return to the States.
The Chief, replying to Peck's first letter from Ko-
rea, requested that as Division Chaplain he continue
certain practices which his predecessors had evolved
98
Seminary Gift.
Chaplain Richard E. Barnes looks on as Sergeant Powers hands Dr. Kim Cha Choon, Acting President of Chosen Presbyterian
Seminary a monetary gift for his institution.
for keeping the Chaplains Division cognizant of the
situation there.
I would appreciate, for example, a weekly letter from you,
no matter how brief, which will enable me to keep abreast
with the status of our chaplains in the Division. Any letters
of length which you have time to prepare will also be much
appreciated, since we peruse every line with an eagle eye.
We shall expect you to make recommendations with regard
to your chaplains, particularly if any are not well or should,
in your opinion, be rotated for other reasons in advance of
the normal date.
We would also like to receive from you a monthly roster
of your chaplains, indicating especially their current as-
signment and their date of reporting to the Division. . . .
For your information, I send the word that we will no longer
order chaplains to Korea to relieve others by name. We
have found in several cases that the system resulted in some
chaplains serving over the required time and others being
returned to the States short of their normal period. We
shall instead detach chaplains on or about the seventh month
after reporting regardless of the arrival of reliefs and will
depend on you to keep us current at all times as to the
number of chaplains aboard, desirable denominational dis-
tribution, and any other matters of that sort on which you
have an opinion.
We want you to feel that you have top priority of all
commands in the field, and that you will get what you want
if you let us know what it is, within the limitations under
which this office works.
On October 13-16 Pacific Fleet Chaplain George
A. Rosso and FMF Pacific Chaplain Martell H.
Twitchell made a visit of inspection, and were af-
forded opportunity to see many of the chaplains in
the field.
On 29 October Peck issued his first Memorandum
as Division Chaplain, establishing an SOP for the
requisition of chaplain supplies and appointing the
Combat Service Group chaplain as Supply Chaplain.
Apparently the problem of supplies was a continuing
one, for on 4 December Chaplain J. P. Mannion,
Assistant Director, Chaplains Division, wrote to Peck
as follows:
We are constantly receiving complaints regarding the
availability of chaplains supplies and equipment for the
Division. The truth of the matter is that we have never
received a request from the Division since it has been in
Korea for either supplies or equipment. We know that some
supplies have been furnished by the Staff Chaplain, Com-
mander, MSTS, Pacific.
It is proper to rely, in so far as necessary, upon the Army
for equipment and supplies. However, there are certain
items . . . which we normally supply which the Army does
not have available.
Would it be possible to discuss the following with your
G-4? We are quite willing to make available, without re-
imbursement, all portable equipment needed by our chap-
lains. We anticipate that under the conditions under which
you operate you need both equipment for immediate use and
equipment in reserve. If you will give us your requirements
by letter or by requisition, we will art on it immediately.
-,:;r,:;:>,2 O— 60-
99
Our greatest need is for adequate shipping instructions. . . .
Please let us have your G-4's reaction to this.
Air Wing
From the Punchbowl area and the Division's front
ground lines our attention must be turned now to the
air-support units and their headquarters far to the
south. On 12 August Wing Chaplain Barnes wrote to
Chaplain Salisbury:
As for the "truce" talks, no appreciable progress seems to
have been made. The troops at the front have had a lull,
but not so the aviators. This command is carrying as heavy
a load as ever or more so. We are regularly losing planes and
pilots. The ground fire has seriously increased in volume and
accuracy.
With the arrival of Chaplain Stephen G. Horvath
the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing was able to provide
Roman Catholic ministrations for its personnel at
Pusan. Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Cushman, command-
ing the Wing, wrote to the Reverend Brian Geraghty,
Superior of the St. Columban Missionary Society:
During the absence of a Catholic chaplain . . . you and
other priests of the Columban Order have graciously extended
to us the deeply appreciated ministry of your services at Mass,
Confessions and personal counseling. Please accept my grati-
tude and that of my officers and men.
Some of the more interesting of Wing Chaplain
Barnes' reports concern the work of Marines in aiding
the often destitute and homeless Korean civilians. On
1 2 August he wrote :
My work here has thrown me into contact with mission-
aries and refugee church groups, as it did John Murphy.
Among others is a Presbyterian Seminary, which, formerly in
Seoul, is now in Pusan. Out of a student body of 300 they
have assembled from the far corners 1 70 students and 5 pro-
fessors. Their Christian faith and courage is astounding. We
and other commands have helped them with offerings, sur-
veyed tenting, and scrap wood. They are living and holding
classes in two squad tents and a few nondescript shacks thev
have built. . . . Their chow consists of two bowls of rice
per day. It was my privilege to give one of the commence-
ment addresses via interpreter, who by the way was the dean
of the seminary and holds a Ph D. degree from Toronto
University.
The whole of South Korea is filled with amazing stories,
stories which should thrill the church at home with the
heroic Christian courage of this infant church to absorb
punishment, adapt itself to disruptive and chaotic conditions,
gather together in the most unexpected places, and hold
church, Sunday School, and study classes. One group of
refugee pastors on Chejudo Island of all things asked me to
get them 20 Greek New Testaments! Believe it or not, they
were organized into a Greek New Testament class, meeting
every day.
The singing of these church people is inspiring. I have
invited two Korean church choirs and the Korean Navy
Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus to K-l [Pusan] for con-
certs. The officers and men could hardly believe their ears
when these people rendered portions of the Messiah, "Open
the Gates of the Temple," Stephen Foster folk songs and
other numbers, and all in English. (The Korean Navy
organization was acquired by simply taking the whole Seoul
symphonic organization, men and women, into the Korean
Navy.)
The Wing continued short of its complement of
chaplains. On occasion Chaplain Cummins of MAG
12 went for a week to the Itami (Japan) units, and
Barnes had himself gone over twice for counseling on
some critical cases. The Wing's new commander,
Maj. Gen. C. F. Schilt, on his own initiative pressed
the matter of chaplain shortage, especially at Itami.
Barnes wrote to Salisbury: "I gave him the picture
and told him I had been in correspondence with you
and that you were aware of the problem and were
doing everything possible to bring us up to T/O."
Moral Welfare Program
Barnes wrote that General Schilt was greatly con-
cerned about the moral problems confronting the
command. During June Chaplain Cummins was
given T.A.D. (temporary additional duty) at Itami to
cooperate in a venereal disease control program di-
rected by the Medical Department. On four after-
noons the chaplain and a doctor gave lectures, and the
new film produced by the Chaplains Division To Be
Held in Honor was shown. During July and August
the film, borrowed from ComNavFE Chaplain Mah-
ler, was shown in all units of the Wing except a few
isolated radar groups. Writing to Chaplain Edward
J. Hemphill, Assistant to the Chief of Chaplains for
Material and Special Projects, Barnes reported agree-
ment among doctors and chaplains that the film was
well done. The response of the men had been favor-
able, although "some wiseguys always find opportunity
to make cracks."
Hemphill in his reply emphasized the importance of
audience preparation. "It was not intended that this
film would be shown . . . without first preparing
them for the subject it treats." He suggested the fol-
lowing as a useful procedure :
1. A lecture by the chaplain on the moral factors of
incontinence.
2. The screening of the film.
3. A discussion by the group of the meaning for them of
the points included in lecture and film.
4. Second screening of the film.
Barnes and Mahler were agreed that Far Eastern
commands deserved a high priority on distribution
lists for moral guidance materials. Hemphill replied :
We are quite conscious of the fact that you are located in
100
an area which justifies the use of a great amount of program
resources in the field of morality training. As you know,
there are no established Training Aids Sections nearer than
Guam. We are quite willing to furnish the program re-
sources if you or Chaplain Mahler will indicate from where
they can be circulated. From here, we are not certain
where the program resources should be sent that they may be
available to a large number of chaplains.
I am sure I speak for the Chief when I say we want our
chaplains in the forward area to receive everything they think
they need. We are willing to reduce supplies for other
chaplains in order to meet this top priority need. Therefore,
feel perfectly free to come directly to us with your require-
ments, making sure that the shipment instructions are ade-
quate to insure delivery, and we will get the material to you.
We can worry about going through channels when you are
out of an emergency situation.
In August Barnes flew to Japan to confer with
Mahler and others about the marriage of Marine per-
sonnel to Japanese nationals. More than once the
chaplains pointed out that their approach to problems
of morals and morale aimed to be positive, not simply
prohibitory. Strenuous efforts were made to acquaint
service personnel with the better aspects of Japanese
and Korean culture and life, and to remind them of
the values of their own. On one occasion, 3,000 pa-
per bound books were received by air shipment and
distributed through the Wing. Early in June Chap-
lain Barnes had taken steps to secure books through
the Library Services Branch, Bureau of Naval Per-
sonnel.
Venereal disease was of course a continuing prob-
lem in units more or less permanently located. While
the chaplains willingly cooperated with their com-
mands and Medical Departments, their primary con-
cern was never either disciplinary or therapeutic
measures, but moral and spiritual health as a positive
factor in a happy, wholesome life. The chaplain's
ministry is first and always a concern for the well-
being of total personality.
Barnes subsequently wrote that an active moral
guidance program was under way and indicated that
the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Chaplain was in an
excellent position to act as custodian and distribution
source for chaplains' films. Therefore in December
1951 Chaplain Mannion, Assistant Director of the
Chaplains Division, made arrangements for certain
films to be forwarded to the Wing Chaplain. He
wrote: "As other films become available, we shall
forward them directly to you for use with the Wing
and the rear echelon units of the 1st Marine Division."
Late in April 1952, after Chaplain J. F. Parker, S.
Baptist, had become Wing Chaplain, the Chaplains
Division would send to the Wing two of the recently
developed "Black Magic" boards with accompanying
cardboard symbols to be used in moral guidance lec-
tures. This expensive visual aid equipment was in-
tended to be circulated from the Wing Chaplain's
office for use in individual commands.
Chaplain Barnes' Diary
The following notes have been taken from Chap-
lain Barnes' monthly contribution to the 1st Marine
Aircraft Wing Historical Diary.6 They are here
paraphrased.
13 July 1951. Visited Dr. Appenzeller, Executive Head,
Church World Service in Korea, at Pusan. Delivered to
him eight cartons of refugee supplies shipped from churches
in the States and Kobe, Japan.
17 July. Accompanied Wing Surgeon to visit Danish hos-
pital ship JUTLANDIA and refugee children's hospital,
Pusan.
18 July. Attended commencement exercises of Chosan
Seminary; addressed them through an interpreter. Marines
of Air Wing and Protestant congregation at Pusan contrib-
uted $280 and scrap lumber for rebuilding.
29 July. Offering of $68 for a graduate of Chosan Sem-
inary going to Japan for further study.
30 July. Address through interpreter at commencement
exercises of Methodist Seminary of Seoul, now in Pusan.
Needless to say, such contacts between Navy chap-
lains and the leading institutions of the Korean Chris-
tian community were helpful in building good rela-
tions between United States military forces and Ko-
rean nationals.
2 September 1951. Visited Chosan Seminary with Ser-
geant Powers to present donation of 600,000 won [$100], a
gift from Powers' mother's church in Texas. PIO pictures
and story prepared for release in San Antonio papers.
1 2 September. Concert by the All-Korean Pilgrim
Choir, 30 trained voices, all in English. Reception at Gen-
eral Schilt's quarters for distinguished missionaries and Ko-
rean guests before concert.
22 September. Chapel at K-3 Pohang finished and fur-
nished except for seating. Chapel chairs on order.
24-28 September. Attended Protestant Chaplains an-
nual retreat at GHQ Chapel Center, Tokyo. Speakers were
George Buttrick, Edmund D. Soper, and Laton Holmgren.
Arranged by Army chaplains in Tokyo.
Barnes' letters to the Chief from the middle of Sep-
tember on indicated the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in
process of moving most of its units, thus requiring new-
plans for chaplain coverage. Chaplain Edwin R.
Weidler, Evan. & Ref., had reported on 21 August,
relieving George W. Cummins in MAG 12, who left
for home. On 17 September Chaplain Howard A.
Seymour, Methodist, arrived, and was assigned at
1 Filed in the Historical Section, G-3, Marine Corps
Headquarters, Washington, DC.
101
Itami. A Marine antiaircraft artillery battalion was
being established at Pusan; their commanding officer
had requested a chaplain's billet but it was disallowed.
Barnes wrote that once the MAW had left Pusan, he
would try to get Army or Air Force chaplains to cover
that unit.
On 12 October Chaplain Horvath was injured when
a weapons carrier in which he was riding went off the
road. A plane had gone down about 15 miles short
of the base and Horvath was in the searching party.
He suffered a broken hip and was evacuated to Yoko-
suka Hospital.
Barnes' last letter from the period of the 6th Korean
Campaign reported further moves by the Marine air
units. "The Wing continues to fly heavy schedules
and we continue to lose planes and pilots. The new
HMR-161 boys have been making the news with their
helicopter lifts up at the front." Once again it was
necessary to rely on missionary priests for Roman
Catholic coverage and Barnes was hard put to dis-
tribute the services of his chaplains to best advantage.
Helicopter Troop Lifts
Barnes' reference to the "HMR-161 boys" deserves
comment. During the 1st Division's rugged fight at
the northern rim of the Punchbowl, 1 1-18 September,
in terrain of appalling difficulties, helicopter squad-
ron HMR-161 began ferrying in supplies and evac-
uating casualties. On 21 September they completed
the first troop lift in combat, a move dubbed "Opera-
tion Summit." During the weeks that followed they
moved company-sized units, and in October a whole
battalion. These maneuvers have been hailed as
opening a new phase of Marine Corps amphibious
doctrine.7 The evacuation of casualties by helicopter
also initiated ^a new technique of medical care and
has been credited with saving countless lives of seri-
ously wounded personnel.
"Track Busting"
September saw the interdiction effort of the carrier
task force enter a third phase.8 (The first had been
breaking the Yalu bridges and those of the rail net in
the northeast. The second, dubbed "Operation
Strangle," was the effort during the summer of 1951
to cut the highways.) Now relieved of their missions
in support of the September ground advance, by mid-
October the BON HOMME RICHARD, the ESSEX,
and the ANTIETAM were concentrating on pinpoint
1 See Lynn Montross, Cavalry of the Sky (New York,
1954), ch. IX.
" Cagle and Manson, op. cit., pp. 241-260.
bombing of rail lines. Though no night carrier was
in service, the carriers worked "round the clock," for
it was soon obvious that the Communists worked at
night to repair the damage.
BON HOMME RICHARD
From February 1951 to January 1953 the senior
chaplain in BON HOMME RICHARD was Howard
M. Day, a Southern Baptist. The following excerpts
from his questionnaire reply present a vivid picture.
The executive officer asked me if I would say grace before
each meal in the wardroom. This was quite an unusual
procedure at that time, though I understand it is now becom-
ing commonplace. The Catholic chaplain said grace at the
first sitting and I at the second, at lunch and dinner. No
blessing was said at breakfast since it was served over a period
of time. The reaction was universally favorable . . . and
several expressed regret that it was not feasible to have a
similar arrangement for the general mess.
( In the general mess there are no "sittings," but con-
tinuous serving by means of a cafeteria line. Grace
at meals has, of course, had a long, if sporadic, history
in the Navy.) Chaplain Day's account continued:
When operating off Korea it was not possible to use either
the mess decks or the hangar deck for Sunday services. We
therefore held services in the wardroom, utilizing the lounge
and main section. About 400 could be accommodated by
using folding chairs and having many stand.
This resulted in considerable inconvenience for our officers,
who had to eat breakfast in the small after-section of the
wardroom on a "hot seat" basis. My executive officer was
somewhat dubious as to the reaction ... to this arrangement,
but there were no complaints at all.
In fact several officers started attending as a result of
hearing our services on the public address system while eating
their breakfasts. As one jokingly expressed it, "Efficiency is
a good thing, but trying to feed the body and the spirit at the
same time is carrying efficiency too far. I'm going to do my
eating between services and start attending as I should."
As on many ships, there were evening prayers just
before Taps over the P. A. system. Chaplain Day
alternated this duty with John A. Keeley, Roman
Catholic chaplain from May 1951 to January 1952.
At first we thought to have such prayers only while at sea.
When we stopped the practice, upon first entering port, a
large number of men wanted to know why we had stopped.
Thereafter prayers were said both at sea and in port. . . .
There were a great many favorable comments from both
Christian and non-Christian men.
Chaplain Day made use of laymen in holding two
Bible classes each week, one for elementary, another
for more advanced study. He thought discussion was
better when laymen were in charge. "It did not reduce
my workload, however," he wrote, "since I still had
to prepare each lesson, assist the teacher in his prepa-
102
ration, and be ready at the class to answer questions
that were raised."
Assigned additional duty as special services officer,
the chaplain supervised the library, which was kept
open at least 8 hours a day while at sea; published the
daily press news and the weekly ship's paper; super-
vised the athletic officer's work and the hobby shop;
edited the ship's cruise book; supervised the daily
4-hour broadcast of transcriptions and "disc jockey"
programs; and provided "live entertainment" in the
form of "Happy Hours" at sea and professional acts
in port. Added to all this he arranged sightseeing
tours in various ports. "At sea, reading was perhaps
the major form of recreation. Approximately 18,000
pocket books (of considerably higher quality than
found on the average newstand) were secured and
distributed during the 23 months I was aboard."
Day worked alone until joined by Chaplain Keeley
in May. Upon reporting, Keeley wrote to the Chief:
This ship is still in the process of breaking in, though the
worst is over. The men have been driven hard but have
maintained their spirits admirably. Church attendance has
been exceptionally good for both of us and cooperation from
the command had been from good to excellent. We are
short on space and the workload demands more men than
we have at our call, but we shall get along all right.
Near the main gate of the U.S. Naval Base,
Yokosuka, men on liberty from BON HOMME
RICHARD passed a small, faded sign reading "Mikasi
Chapel." Investigation led Chaplain Keeley to the
Japanese pastor, Father Hatada, and from him was
learned the need of a new building. Back at sea the
men began making contributions at Sunday masses,
and only one month later, when the ship was again
in Yokosuka, $200 was contributed to the building
fund. To express their gratitude, Father Hatada and
a choir of 40 Japanese children came aboard to sing
in Latin the traditional chants of the Mass.
ESSEX
Among the missions of the carrier ESSEX was a
raid, long desired by the Far East Command and
finally approved, subject to careful precautions, by
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the port of Rashin in the
far northeast of Korea, 1 7 miles from the Soviet fron-
tier and less than 110 miles from Vladivostock.9 The
immunity afforded Rashin by Washington's care not
to violate the Russian border had allowed it to become
a most important supply center for the Communist
war effort. Finally in August 1951 the strike was
accomplished by B-29's, escorted by jets from ESSEX.
• Ibid., pp. 245-7.
Her chaplains at the time were Joseph J. Buzek and
Paul C. Morton. Recalled to active duty in Septem-
ber 1950, Chaplain Buzek reported aboard ESSEX
in June 1951. His activities may be taken as typical.
Arising before dawn he would administer Holy Com-
munion to pilots preparing for an early morning strike.
After breakfast, he checked incoming messages to see
whether any of them might call for the chaplain's help
in breaking news to a crewmember. Next followed
the daily visit to the sick bay, and then a tour of the
ship, dropping in on the men in their working
compartments.
Afternoons were spent in prayer and study, inter-
spersed with conferences with those seeking advice
and help. Daily mass was said at 1630, in a class-
room. Evenings were devoted to choir practice, re-
ligious instructions, and devotions. When the ship
was not engaged in actual operations, Sunday services
were held on the hangar deck, with a Hammond organ
to aid the "church atmosphere." At other times
services were held in the crew's messing compartment,
which made necessary several services to accommodate
all who wished to attend.
In December 1951 Chaplain Buzek arranged for
Archbishop Maximilien de Furstenburg, Apostolic
Delegate to Japan, to administer Confirmation to a
group of 19 sailors whom he had prepared for that
sacrament. The rite took place in the Archbishop's
private chapel in Tokyo.
Chaplain Morton had been in ESSEX since Jan-
uary 1951. The following story, taken from his ques-
tionnaire, reply, gives its own quiet but eloquent
testimony.
On the night of 26 September 1951, after a crash, explo-
sion, and fire on the flight deck, I was in the sick bay with
the injured. One young man was so badly burned he was
not expected to live. He was not what one would call re-
ligious. In his pain he would say, "Chaplain, just stay where
I can see you." Six weeks later he died, but not until he
had accepted Christ.
ANTIETAM
Senior chaplain in the carrier ANTIETAM was
Paul C. Pirri, from June 1951 until his release to in-
active duty in July 1952. Pieri had been a member
of an Organized Reserve unit and was recalled to ac-
tive duty in August 1950, being first assigned to Ma-
rine Barracks, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
His cohort, Protestant Chaplain Don M. Michael,
was just out of Chaplains School (class 2-51), report-
ing also in June 1951. Michael served until Septem-
ber, when he was transferred to the IOWA where he
103
remained until November 1952. His 2-year sea tour
was completed by duty in the repair ship BRIAREUS,
to July 1953.
Seaborne Artillery
Other ships meanwhile were lending their support
in engagements of various kinds. Destroyers sought
out coastline bridges and railroads to shell.10 Heavier
ships added their fire to frontline targets. In late
July, to counteract the Communist claim at the Kae-
song talks that the Reds controlled a large area south
of the Parallel and to keep the approaches to Seoul
open, a naval force entered the Han estuary and
lobbed shells into the frontlines, guided by plane
spotters.
The leading ship in this demonstration was the
LOS ANGELES, whose chaplain was William J.
Organ, a Presbyterian. In September her fire power
would be used against enemy troops and gun positions
in the Kojo area, and again in November, when shell-
ing from LOS ANGELES was instrumental in saving
the ROK I Corps, low in ammunition and in danger
of being overrun by a Communist breakthrough. The
NEW JERSEY was similarly engaged in support of
the 1st Marine Division during September and early
October.
PhibPac
From the beginning ships of the Amphibious Force,
Pacific had been engaged in the Korean conflict.
Besides Force Chaplain William J. Kuhn and two
others stationed at the Amphibious Base, Coronado,
Calif., the following chaplains were on duty with
PhibPac in July 1951.
Day, Edgar A LT BAP (A) BAYFIELD
Helmich, Edward LCDR MORAVIAN MT McKIN-
C. LEY
Holmes, Richard J. LT RC ELDORADO
Kokoszka, William LT RC GEORGE
J. CLYMER
Ruder, Frederick LT METH CALVERT
A.
Of these ships BAYFIELD, GEORGE CLYMER,
and CALVERT were attack transports; MT Mc-
KINLEY and ELDORADO, amphibious command
ships. Chaplain Robert T. Noland, Southern Baptist,
served with Naval Beach Group ONE from September
1950 to January 1952.
Hospital Ships
Brief mention was made in chapter 2 of the arrival
of the hospital ships CONSOLATION and REPOSE
10 Ibid., pp. 323-30, for this and following paragraph.
in the war zone. Serving in CONSOLATION was
Protestant Chaplain C. F. Holland. After a month
at Pusan, the ship moved to Inchon to receive casual-
ties from the Inchon-Seoul operation, and later,
following in the wake of attacking UN forces, to
VVonsan and thence to Hungnam.11
In November Roman Catholic Chaplain V. J. W.
Lustig reported aboard, having traveled to Korea in
the tanker CIMMARRON. He wrote later that the
crew had told him he was the first chaplain ever to
have ridden in CIMMARRON, and that to the best
of their knowledge his was the first Mass celebrated
aboard. He mentioned also holding a "general
service," a type of worship held for Protestants by
Roman Catholic chaplains in the absence of a Protes-
tant chaplain. The Catholic men had been holding
Rosary services on their own, he reported, and the
Protestants informal gatherings for worship. Lustig
was aboard on Thanksgiving Day and was invited to
say a blessing at dinner.
Serving aboard the CONSOLATION, Chaplain
Lustig had a special cabinet built in his stateroom for
the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. "Thus I
could give daily Communion to those who desired [it].
Some days as many as 38 patients received in their
wards. Holy Viaticum was thus always available for
the dying, even though we had no chapel aboard the
ship."
Chaplain Holland was relieved by Leroy C. Austin
in the summer of 1951. Lustig served until April
1952, being replaced by Chaplain Martin J. Hoar.
Austin was relieved by Chaplain Franklin C. Black
in July 1952. Arthur M. Kulinski, who had earlier
seen duty with the 1st Marine Division, would later
relieve Chaplain Hoar in July 1953. There were thus
(after the initial buildup) two chaplains aboard at all
times, their tours staggered so that continuity was
provided by one experienced chaplain as the other
was in turn relieved.
The second AH (hospital ship) to report for duty
in the war theater was REPOSE, arriving 16 Septem-
ber 1950. Aboard were Chaplains Henry P. White
(Methodist) and Charles F. Karnasiewicz (Roman
Catholic), both of whom had reported in August.
Others subsequently assigned to REPOSE were :
Allen L. Irwin CONG August 1951-October 1952
Leonard F. White. . . . RC June 1951-October 1952
Luther E. Olmon . . LUTH September 1952-July 1954
Earl W. Smith RC August 1952-March 1954
" Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. III. p. 139.
— 104 —
On 13 October 1950 a third hospital ship arrived
for Korean service. In the HAVEN were Chaplains
John J. Reardon, Roman Catholic, and Paul K.
Potter, Methodist, both of whom had reported in
September. Reardon was relieved in October 1951
by Francis J. Klass, and Potter in December by Edwin
R. Howard. Howard in turn was relieved in October
1952 by Chaplain John R. Tufft, and in December of
the same year Klass was replaced by Chaplain John
D. O'Leary.
It will be noticed that the average tour was approxi-
mately 1 year during the earlier part of the war;
after 1952 the time began to be extended to from
18 months to 2 years.
In chapter 3 has been mentioned the hazardous
minesweeping of Wonsan harbor by the U.S. Navy.
At the same time General Walker's 8th Army had
captured the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, and
the need for opening Chinnampo, its port, was im-
perative; it too was heavily mined. The Navy took
on a second simultaneous minesweeping job. Finally,
on 20 November 1950, a deep channel was opened;
the first deep draft vessel to be piloted in was the
hospital ship REPOSE, with less than 1 foot of water
to spare. The officer in charge of minesweeping
radioed his congratulations to the pilot, an Australian
naval officer named Gladstone, regretting however
that he must stay aboard overnight. Gladstone re-
plied that he could doubtless stand the company of
50 nurses for 1 night! 12
"Talking Letters"
The summer of 1952 saw introduced a novel service
for badly wounded patients, unable to write letters
home. Free disc recording was instituted by the ship's
welfare departments. It came about when REPOSE,
returning stateside after a 16-month tour in Korean
waters, was being resupplied. Professional type re-
corders were purchased from welfare funds, one for
each of the three hospital ships. It is believed that this
is the first time such facilities were made available in
forward areas.
The chaplains were alerted to watch for an inca-
pacitated patient, who was asked if he would like to
make a recording and have it sent home without
charge to himself or his family. After clearance with
the commanding officer, the man was given time to
plan what he wished to say and a time set for the
actual recording.
Ten minutes was required to fill a disc on both
1! Cagle and Manson, op. cit., p. 162. The whole of ch. 5
concerns the Chinnampo minesweeping operation.
sides. Often the chaplain would begin, and some-
times the ward nurse would add a few words of
encouragement for the "folks back home." The man
himself then used the remaining time, the microphone
being set up by his bunk. Enclosed with a letter
from the commanding officer, the disc was then mailed
in a special envelope first class to any desired address
in the United States.
The superiority of "talking letters" over those
which otherwise would have been written by the chap-
lain or someone else, is obvious. Nothing could more
personally convey to a man's family a sense of his
individuality than his own voice, even on a record.
Services
Services of worship were held daily in the hospital
ships by both Protestant and Roman Catholic chap-
lains. It was possible for men in their bunks to listen
in over the head-sets which also carried news, music,
and diversionary fare. Usually morning and eve-
ning prayers were also carried to the patients in this
fashion.
The following examples of work by chaplains serv-
ing later on may be taken as representative. Chap-
lain J. D. O'Leary noted in his questionnaire reply
that his duty in the HAVEN was particularly satisfy-
ing, administering Extreme Unction, Confessions, and
Holy Communion daily. At the request of the com-
manding officer of the Danish hospital ship JUT-
LANDIA, he cared for Roman Catholic personnel
and patients aboard. Twice a week opportunity for
Confessions and Communion was offered confined
patients, and each Sunday, ambulatory patients. This
schedule was followed from February to June 1953.
when the JUTLANDIA returned to Denmark.
Aboard both that ship and his own. O'Leary found
it necessary to hear the confession of non-English-
speaking personnel. To meet this need questionnaires
were prepared in Danish. Greek. Italian, and Korean,
"keyed to our own English questionnaire."
The chaplains found opportunities to minister to
other than their own particular "parishioners."
Chaplain L. E. Olmon reported holding services
aboard APA's (attack transports) and CVE's (escort
carriers) without a Protestant chaplain. "Special
attention was also given to small ships anchored with
us and to Fleet Activities and MSTS, Inchon."
As the story of the Korean War unfolds, it becomes
increasingly clear that laymen were beinc; encouraged
to, and were taking responsibility for religious services
in the absence of chaplains. Olmon wrote: "Reports
105
International Conversation.
Chaplain Walter S. Peck talks with Wong Dong Lee of the Korean Navy who is studying methods used by American
Chaplains in serving United Nations Forces.
from patients that prayer groups and Bible study
groups were held in frontline bunkers by lay person-
nel. Ships without a chaplain reported that enlisted
men and officers were conducting worship services,
hymn sings, and Bible study." Anchored at Inchon,
Olmon was frequently consulted for advice concern-
ing such lay work, and made available supplies of
religious literature.
"Well Done"
Two of the hospital ships were honored with the
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for serv-
ice terminating during the period here under review.
CONSOLATION was cited for the period 1 1 August
1950 through 31 August 1951. REPOSE was awarded
the KPUC for service from 16 September 1950
through 31 July 1951. HAVEN would later receive
the same award for service from 18 October 1950
through 25 June 1952.
Korean Navy Chaplaincy
Chaplain H. P. White, in the REPOSE, was early
in contact with the Korean Navy Chaplain Corps in
its formative stage. He wrote to Chaplain Salisbury:
I have tried to assist the ROK Navy in every possible way,
and in turn the ROK Navy has been very helpful to us in the
REPOSE. For sometime. Admiral Sohn [Soh Won II (?)]
of the ROK Navy was a patient aboard this ship, and we were
fortunate in having his Navy band, more than 50 pieces,
aboard for a concert. . . .
The first Chief of Chaplains of the Republic of
Korea Navy was Lt. Comdr. Dall Bin Chung, origi-
nally commissioned a line officer in 1948. Graduate
of the Kwang Sung Methodist mission school, he later
received a divinity degree from the Kwan Sei Uni-
versity in Japan. Pastor and teacher before entering
the Navy, Chaplain Chung had headed the educa-
tional department of Methodist headquarters in Seoul
and served as chaplain to the well-known Ewha Girls
School there. In the Navy he rose to the position of
Chief of Education and Information, and on 24 May
1951 was appointed to head the newly organized
Chaplain Corps.
Chaplain White's letter continued :
When Chaplain Chung was made Chief of Chaplains.
I did everything possible to help him get started. Words of
gratitude and appreciation arrived from Admiral Sohn for
this service. Chaplain Chung's office is not too far from the
REPOSE, and I go over there as often as I can to assist him
in getting his organization set up. He makes frequent visits
to my office, and I'm sure this splendid relationship will prove
enriching and rewarding.
— 106
At the time of White's writing, there were nine ROK
Navy chaplains on active duty, seven with ROK
Marine units, two at naval bases.
Further information was supplied by Chaplain A.
M. Oliver, obtained from Korean Chaplain Won
Dong Lee, serving the 1st ROK Marine regiment.
Converted to Christianity by Presbyterian missionaries,
Chaplain Lee was graduated from the Chosen Presby-
terian Theological College and had served one pastor-
ate before entering the Navy.
He reported a gratifying response to his military
ministry', saying that the non-Christians usually re-
spected his effort and many listened to his preaching
of the Gospel. "I believe that one day Christianity
will be the dominant religion throughout Korea."
he added. "It is the one cause in which both my
people and the North Koreans can always find a
common devotion."
According to Lee, it was the remarkable impression
made upon high ranking Korean military officials
observing U.S. Marines attending Divine Service at
the time of the Inchon landing that led some of them
to ask American officers to explain the place and
function of the chaplaincy in the United States military
establishment. Although only a small percent of
Koreans were Christian, it was decided to organize a
Korean chaplaincy.
Chaplain Chung
Actually it appears that Chaplain Chung had had
some such idea all along, even when he entered the
Navy as a line "jg." and spent 3 years doing "PIO"
work.11 The actual beginnings of the chaplaincy
predate its official commissioning. Admiral Soh Won
II, then ROK Chief of Naval Operations, allowed
Chung time to cany on his religious ministry, including
both counselling and holding services. The latter
were held in private homes in Seoul, and after the
retreat began, wherever Chung found himself.
With the formal establishment of the Corps, Chung's
first task was to recruit and send chaplains to the
newly organized ROK Marine Corps, placing in direct
charge Chaplain C. S. Park. Much time was spent
expanding and consolidating the embryonic Corps.
Lent a copy of the U.S. Navy Chaplains Manual by
Chaplain White, together with copies of the Navy
Chaplains Bulletin, Chung drew up a leadership man-
ual for his own chaplains, compiled a bilingual hymn-
book, a catechism, and a character guidance manual,
"Navy Chaplains Bulletin (Fall, 1954), D. J. Silver,
"Chaplain Chung's Corps." p. 13. Also A. M. Oliver. "Of
One Blood All Nations." ibid. (Spring-Summer, 1952). p. 12.
and began publishing a monthly bulletin. After a
while he was able to put chaplains aboard Korean
vessels.
Chaplain Frederick W. Brink, when serving at Fleet
Activities, Sasebo, wrote the Chaplains Division that
he had assisted ROK Chaplain S. F. Shin in the
baptism of 2 1 officers and men from the crew of ROK
ship TAEDONG, all previously Buddhists. The
sacrament was administered in the Fleet Activities
Chapel.
Supplies had been begged, borrowed, or "scrounged"
from the beginning. Chaplain White helped when
he could, and later, in 1952, Chaplain Harry F.
Fenstermacher, 1st 90-mm Gun Battalion, FMF
Pacific, aided Chung 14 in regularizing the receipt of
supplies through the Korean Base Section (Army > .
He managed to submit to the U.S. Naval Korean
Military Advisory Liaison Group what one of their
officers estimated as "one of every three requests for
supplies we received !"
One of Chaplain Chung's most ambitious projects
was the operation of a Navy-Marine Wounded Soldiers
Vocational Training School, near the naval base at
Chin Hai. "The closest Korea comes to the Veterans
Administration," one chaplain described it. Under
the direction of Chaplain Park Bun, 200 disabled
veterans every 6 months were being given vocational
therapy and training in such fields as auto mechanics,
farming, watchmaking, and even photography.
On Solid Ground
In 1954 Chaplain Chung, by then promoted to the
rank of commander, visited the Chaplains Division in
Washington. His dream was becoming an impressive
reality. By then his Corps numbered 30 and he had
established some 40 Navy and Marine chapels. In
1953 the first Roman Catholic chaplain was commis-
sioned and by 1954 there were four. (Korean Protes-
tants are reported to outnumber Roman Catholics by
more than 10 to 1.) There was even a "chaplains
school," meeting in Chung's office — which will remind
old hands of the beginnings of our own training pro-
gram. The conduct of common worship held priority
with Chung's "padres," and counseling next; but there
was no charitable cause or work of mercy in which
they had not found a way to involve themselves.
Described by his friends as a forceful man, Chaplain
Chung was not to be satisfied until his work of building
was set on a firm foundation. Publicly honored by the
ROK Chief of Naval Operations and by the Minister
"Cp. p. 192
— 107
of Defense, his solidest monument is, as Chaplain
Daniel J. Silver wrote, "the thriving existence of a
Chaplain Corps which bears his signature and
imprint."
Nationalist Chinese Chaplaincy
Brief notice may be taken of the emergence of
another Chaplain Corps in the Far East, serving the
Nationalist Chinese armed forces on Taiwan (For-
mosa). Although sanctioned by the government, it
had no official military status, being recruited and
supported by ladies meeting in a Prayer Group with
Madame Chiang Kai-shek. Concerned for the morale
and welfare of Nationalist troops concentrated in the
already overcrowded city of Taipeh, these ladies looked
for evangelists and pastors to work among the troops.
Supervising the program was the Reverend Wei-
ping Chen, retired clergyman from the mainland and
personal pastor of the Generalissimo and Madame
Chiang. Begun in May 1950, by 1952 this "Corps"
had 14 "chaplains" serving, one in a recruit training
center, another in the Navy base, most of them in
military hospitals.
Chaplain W. W. Parkinson, on duty with the Patrol
Squadrons of 7th Fleet, occasionally made contact
with the Nationalist Chinese chaplaincy and helped
in whatever ways were possible.
Writing to Chaplain Salisbury in October 1951, the
Reverend Wei-ping Chen stated : "Our work in these
hospitals (21) is very successful. Some superintend-
ents of these hospitals are Christians. They welcomed
us from the beginning while others hesitated. Today,
however, they all appreciate our service." He re-
ported that some of the worst troublemakers among
the military patients had responded to the Gospel
ministry; some even had become "chaplain's assist-
ants," doing valuable work in teaching the Bible and
hymns to other patients.
Unit Citations
The 1st Marine Division was awarded its third
Presidential Unit Citation during the Korean hostili-
ties (the Division's sixth) for its gallantry in action
during three periods of intense combat: 21-26 April,
16 May-30 June, and 11-25 September, all in 1951.
The first two periods fell within the 5th Korean Cam-
paign, the initial one covering the Chinese Communist
offensive in April, the latter covering the counter-
offensive which brought the Marines to the southern
rim of the Punchbowl. The third period was the
September drive which for the Marines constituted
the heart of the United Nations fall offensive.
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing also received a Presi-
dential Unit Citation covering the dates 8 March-
30 April, 18 May-30 June, and 3 August-29 Septem-
ber, 1951. These dates reflect missions flown largely
in support of Division operations during approxi-
mately the same periods.
The Navy Unit Commendation was awarded a
number of ships and smaller commands for varying
periods of service. BADOENG STRAIT and SICILY
each was cited for the period 3 August 1950 — 1 August
1951. VALLEY FORGE received the unit decora-
tion for the period 3 July- 18 November 1951.
LEYTE had already been cited for her service from
9 October 1950 to 19 January 1951; and PHILIP-
PINE SEA had received two awards, the first covering
the period 4 August 1950 to 30 March 1951, the
second, 31 March-31 May 1951. PRINCETON'S
unit commendation covered the period 5 December
1950 to 10 August 1951.
Winterizing
While acting Division Chaplain, Fitzgerald had re-
ported the arrival of John L. Curtis (Southern Bap-
tist), who was assigned to the 11th Marines. On 8
October Joseph P. F. Gallagher (Roman Catholic)
reported in and was assigned to Motor Transport.
Commenting on the activities of the Division Chaplain
for the period 15-23 October, Peck noted the arrival
of four more new chaplains, assigned as follows:
Shore Party Bn . William E. Brooks. . LCDR BAPT (A)
Medical Bn Vincent J. Lonergan LCDR RC
Ordnance Bn . . . Barney L. Jones .... LT METH
7th Marines Alan R. Gibbons. . . LTJG RC
The United Nations drive during the summer and
fall of 1951 was the last big offensive of the Korean
War. By the end of October the frontlines were
fairly well stabilized and hostilities were largely re-
stricted to outpost warfare and patrol activities. Peck
wrote to Salisbury on 25 October:
We seem to be digging in for winter, and it is none too soon.
The nights are getting bitter cold, although the days when
the sun is out are fairly comfortable. The lines are becoming
more fixed. Continual raids and patrol actions by both sides
cause daily casualties although not as many as on a push.
I am encouraging the chaplains to prepare themselves for a
program to combat the loneliness and depression which will
come to their men through the winter if the front remains
stable.
He added: "I wish to say that the main impression
I have gained is to be deeply impressed with the work
of the chaplains out here; from all sides, officer and
enlisted, comes nothing but high praise." On 31
— 108 —
October Peck again commented on conditions in the
frontlines:
The approach of winter is the main concern here. The
men and officers, including the chaplains, in the infantry
regiments are having an increasingly difficult time. The
stable lines mean less moving around and in cold weather
that means long cold hours in the night and dreary days in
the unheated bunkers. Keeping warm is difficult and posi-
tions must be kept. The 1st and 7th Regiments are on the
line now.
A week later, he wrote: "Chaplain Brooks is in a
forward battalion whose position requires his living
in an earthen bunker and since it is high in the hills,
he has had an uncomfortable time of it, but is in good
spirits, has no complaints and says he is getting along
fine." On 10 November two more chaplains reported
in: Melvin E. Torstrick and Arnold P. Spohn, making
a total of 30; but orders were expected for 6 then on
board, 5 of whom were detached by 21 November.
On 14 November the 5th Marines relieved the 1st
Marines in the front line and Chaplain Ruleman
found himself occupying the earthen bunker formerly
used by Chaplain Brooks. Back at the Headquarters
Battalion, Chaplain Peck succeeded in "winterizing"
the chapel by securing two stoves. Squad tents were
secured to use as chapels in each of the three battalions
in the reserve area with ordinary planking for pews.
As usual, the chaplains were adjusting their lives and
ministry to render the best possible service under what-
ever conditions might prevail.
Following the Punchbowl engagements the chap-
lains were busy, as they and their units prepared for
the coming winter, writing letters to the next of kin
of service personnel who had become casualties. It
has been mentioned earlier that an SOP was estab-
lished whereby no unit chaplain would write such
letters until he had received from the Division Chap-
lain's Office (Rear) amplifying information on each
casualty, which was secured from the Division Casu-
alty Office. In practice, while hopefully the unit
chaplain's work was thus simplified, the results were
not satisfactory. Peck issued a Memorandum to the
Division chaplains on 24 November 1951, pointing out
that in many cases letters had been received in units
from next of kin in reply to the commanding officer's
casualty letter before the unit chaplain had been able
to secure the necessary information to write his own
letter of condolence. Therefore, Peck directed the
chaplains to obtain the needed information directly
from the Amplifying Reports furnished his unit com-
mand. Where letters of inquiry should be received
from next of kin before amplifying information was
obtainable, chaplains were to reply, stating simply
that the situation (not the death) was being investi-
gated and another letter would follow when further
information became available.
Talks Resumed
While X Corps, including the Marine division, had
been moving forward in the east, elements of IX Corps
had secured the eastern point of the Iron Triangle. ir'
Farther west elements of I Corps had established the
Jamestown Line along a 40-mile front from the vicin-
ity of Kaesong eastward to Chorwon, the western pivot
of the Triangle. Successful offensives during August
to October had thus given the UN forces a firm hold
on commanding positions all along their front.
Perhaps because of this pressure the Communist
indicated a willingness to resume negotiations. After
preliminary sparring by liaison officers, finally, on
25 October 1951 the chief negotiators resumed their
talks, but now in a tiny village, Panmunjom, on the
Seoul highway north of the Imjin River.
For the fighting man the war went on, though the
military picture remained essentially unchanged
through the following months. Patrol activity was
stepped up on both sides, and occasionally the Com-
munists threw a battalion, and once a regiment, at the
United Nations line. Guerilla harassment continued,
and occasionally Marine units were ambushed; but
nearly as serious as the enemy's opposition was the
hardship entailed by the onset of winter.
,r' Miller et at., op. cit., p. 1 1 7.
109
CHAPTER 7
SECOND KOREAN WINTER
28 November 195 1-30 April 1952
The closing months of 1951 witnessed a return to
the stalemate that had settled over the Korean con-
flict in July and early August, when the "peace talks"
had first begun at Kaesong. Now that they were re-
sumed, at Panmunjom, both sides adopted a largely
defensive posture, content for the most part to rein-
force established positions or capture others for the
purpose of straightening or strengthening a front line.1
General Ridgway ordered the UN front stabilized
and an outpost line established three to five thousand
yards forward of the main positions. The main line
of resistance (MLR) stretched for 155 miles, from the
Yellow Sea to the Sea of Japan, manned by the fol-
lowing (in west to east order) : U.S. I Corps, from the
confluence of the Imjin and Han Rivers to a point
between Khorwon and Kumhwa, along the base of
the Iron Triangle; IX Corps, northward to Kumsong
and thence east to the Pukhan River; X Corps, includ-
ing the 1st Marine Division, eastward up and over the
mountainous backbone of the Korean peninsula down
to the Nam River; and, as eastern anchor, the ROK I
Corps, whose line extended northward from the Nam
to Kosong on the east coast.2
DivChap Slant
The situation at the beginning of this period, as
it affected the work of the chaplains, may be high-
lighted by the following extracts from weekly letters
from Division Chaplain Peck to the Chief of
Chaplains.
28 November 1951.
Winter is here and is complicating living and supply prob-
lems. The front ahead of us is stable, with military activity
confined to aggressive patrols and mortar and artillery ex-
changes. This results in daily casualties but not great num-
bers of casualties. The chaplains still have the lines to walk.
1 Miller et al, op. cit., p. 206.
= Ibid.
the hills to climb to reach their men, and the cold when on
their rounds.
The chaplains are in high spirits and they are a continuing
inspiration and source of pride to me. I have a helicopter
trip scheduled for next Thursday to visit Chaplain Ruleman
up in his isolated area. It is 3 hours by trail from the farthest
jeep point and, due to infiltrators, one is allowed to go up
and back only with a large convoy, so to visit by foot is a case
of up one day and back the next.
5 December 1951.
This week I covered all the infantry battalions on the line,
and in regimental reserve behind the line, plus the regimental
CPs on the line. To get to Chaplain Ruleman's position on
top of a mountain, I took my first 'copter ride. ... It was
quite an experience. The officers and men to whom I talked
praised their chaplains without exception.
The chaplains are especially busy with the Christmas
season here. Some things which seem simple enough nor-
mally, like obtaining decorations, getting out special bulletins,
getting a Christmas music program together, all become
major projects under conditions out here. The chaplains are
not easily discouraged and keep plugging until they get them.
13 December 1951.
This is not an easy time, however, from a morale stand-
point— standing by, as it were, for these Cease Fire Talks is
proving a strain. I think everyone's nerves would be more
relaxed if the talks would go one way or the other. Strangely
enough the nearness of Christmas seems to aggravate the
situation in many ways — the men have time to think, and the
Christmas season with its rich memories of home only adds
to the burden. Some of the chaplains are restless themselves:
I counsel them to dig into the Christmas season and give the
men the spiritual gems from the season to counteract the
men's nervousness — and their own.
Christmas, 1951
This second Christmas in Korea was considerably
different from that of 1950, when the last elements
of the Division were still being brought into rest areas
following the terrible withdrawal from the Chosin
Reservoir. True, Marines were on the front lines,
but combat was limited and the situation was relatively
quiet. Special Services had distributed decorations
and each unit has lighted Christmas trees. Those
— 110-
desiring them had been furnished Christmas greet-
ing cards to mail home. Incoming mail brought not
only greetings and gifts from families, but from in-
dividuals and groups who had voluntarily provided
gifts for Korean troops, among them the Armed
Forces Wives Club of Boston, the Women's Division
of the Jewish Welfare Board, and employees of the
Kiplinger News Agency in Washington. A USO
troupe provided entertainment, in addition to movies.
President Truman's Christmas message was screened.
Tons of hot turkey with trimmings were flown by
helicopter to forward positions where men relieved
one another from the line long enough to eat Christ-
mas dinner.
Cardinal Spellman was in Korea for a Yuletide visit
to the U.S. forces in the Far East. He celebrated
Mass at the Division Command Post on Christmas
Day, with an estimated 3,000 in attendance.
Division Chaplain Peck wrote to Chaplain Salis-
bury:
The Christmas coverage was tops. Things were quiet
enough, militarily speaking, that a full religious observance
could be made. The chaplains really put out: I am proud of
them. For men in bunkers on the line, the infantry chap-
lains walked the hills to take the message of Christmas to
them. One chaplain had 8 services, another 1 1 . Chap-
lains Felder of the Engineers and Stamper of the 11th
Marines had laymen, officers and enlisted, conducting
Christmas Eve services throughout their units — 19 such lay-
directed services were held.
Felder had prepared a mimeographed Order of
Service which was used in each of four simultaneous
services in outlying companies of the 1st Engineer
Battalion, with laymen reading a sermon prepared by
the chaplain. Felder took his own congregation,
augmented by Korean personnel, out on a mountain-
side where, as they sang Christmas carols in both
English and Korean, two loudspeakers were directed
out over a valley holding several thousand troops.
Truly the "welkin rang" as the valley echoed "Glory
to the new-born King."
At the suggestion of his commanding officer. Chap-
lain R. C. Fenning of 1st Signal Battalion conducted
a 10-minute service nightly during the week preceding
Christmas. Consisting of carols sung by a 12-man
choir and a brief talk, each service was broadcast
throughout the entire battalion area, reaching about
1,000 men.
On Christmas Eve a songfest followed by coffee and
cake was held in the mess tent of each of the 23 batter-
ies of the 11th Marines. Regimental Chaplain R. L.
Stamper had arranged with line officers to organize
Christmas Decorations From the States.
Chaplain Henry C. Duncan assisted by Sergeant Beeson opens
a shipment of Christmas decorations sent to the chaplain
by Becson's mother, who belonged to the Navy Mother's
Club the chaplain had contacted for such items.
carol-singing and to read the Nativity story. Protes-
tant services were held in two battalions and midnight
Mass celebrated in two, with further services on
Christmas Day.
Christmas in VALLEY FORGE
The VALLEY FORGE spent its second consecuti\ e
Christmas "on the line." Many of her personnel had
been aboard both those holidays, away from home and
all it means at that season. Chaplain Abner R. Cook,
one of those, was determined to make it as cheerful as
possible, and his captain heartily concurred.
With the good help of a sailor named Wheeler, who had
been a choir director in a Presbyterian church in Los Angeles,
a small choir had been trained. Instead of the usual bugle
for reveille, on Christmas morning the crew was awakened
with appropriate music by this group. During the day, when
they were not singing in one of the several Divine Services,
they went to many sections of the ship, from the Admiral's
cabin to sick bay, and sang. Usually the officers and men
joined in.
By night everyone wanted to sing so all hands, except those
on watch, crowded on the hangar deck and in total darkness.
— Ill
for no light was permitted, sang Christmas carols far into the
night. Presently the sound of the singing carried to other
ships. While we were too far apart to sing together, they
caught the spirit and we could hear them singing.
It had been a good Christmas.
1st MAW
Chaplain E. R. Barnes was detached before the
arrival of his relief and on 27 November 1951 Chap-
lain Howard A. Seymour, who had been at Itami since
his arrival in September, was ordered to duty as Acting
Wing Chaplain by the Wing Chief of Staff. Writing
to Chaplain Salisbury on 14 December, Seymour
indicated progress along several lines: a new jeep for
the chaplain, a much better qualified chaplain's assist-
ant, a chapel in the Wing's new location, including
office space for the chaplain, and living quarters in a
building rather than a tent. Seymour had, in addition
to taking Protestant services at Wing headquarters,
arranged for missionary priests to afford Roman
Catholic coverage where needed. He noted preaching
in a nearby Presbyterian Church through an inter-
preter, keeping in touch with the chaplains of the
Wing, and attending the Command Staff meeting on
Monday mornings. Concerning relief work he wrote :
In line with the policy of the command, clothing sent to
the Wing from the States for the refugees and all excess food
has been distributed from this office through proper organi-
zations. We have concentrated our efforts on the Presby-
terian Seminary in Pusan and the Korean Blind School.
However, because of the extremely cold weather here we have
handed out many coats directly to Korean refugees who live
near by.
Christmas in the Air Wing
The Wing headquarters had before Christmas
nearly completed its move from Pusan to Pohang,
farther up the east coast. (See ch. 6.) The new
chapel was unfinished ; Seymour described it as "an
adequate structure seating 160 personnel," adding that
through his contacts at Itami he had "scrounged"
white paint for the interior. "The General insists upon
a dedication service before the arrival of the Wing
Chaplain; so Chaplain La Duca and I are aiding him
Chaplain Stephen Horvath reads the epistle at Christmas Eve mass at the First MAW chapel.
— 112
Chapel for MAG 12.
This is a chapel located on the east coast at K-18 above Pohang. The group was later moved to K-l.
A New Dress.
Chaplain Weidler and Sergeant Pearson admire a little Korean girl's new dress which has arrived from America.
;|
113
in that service on Sunday afternoon, 13 January."
Roman Catholic Chaplain Paul J. La Duca reported
the first week in January.
Concerning Christmas activities Seymour wrote on
6 January:
Our Christmas activities at the Wing were not as complete
as we would have desired due to the fact that the camp was
in process of moving. However, we had a Mass and a
Protestant Divine Service in the unfinished Chapel on Sunday,
23 December. On Christmas Eve we had a Protestant
Communion service at 2330 and a Catholic Mass at 2400.
We were able to find a French priest who was very willing
to aid us, even though he could not speak English. A newly
formed choir from the band aided in both services. We had
a watch night service on New Year's Eve.
Chaplains Horvath (who had returned to duty) and
Weidler were building a chapel at Marine Aircraft
Group 12, which was far enough along to be used for
Christmas services. MAG 12 was now located at
Kangnung, just south of the 38th Parallel on the east
coast.
On 24 December at 1900 Chaplain Weidler led the Christ-
mas carolers to Kangnung where carols were sung at the two
orphanages; later the party returned to the base and sang at
the enlisted men's club. At 2200 he offered Christmas Eve
Communion in the group chapel. The choir of Central
Church, Kangnung, sang at this service.
At 2400 Chaplain Horvath offered High Mass and the
orphans of the Kangnung Catholic Orphanage sang the Mass.
On 25 December Sunday schedule was maintained.
On Christmas Day orphans from the four Kangnung
homes (one Roman Catholic, the others administered
by the UN Civil Assistance Commission, Korea) were
guests of MAG 12. They were treated to dinner,
movies, and a complete outfit of clothing.
Chaplains Sullivan and Cleaves were doing out-
standing work in Marine Aircraft Group 33, at Po-
hang. According to Seymour's report to the
Chaplains Division, Cleaves was especially active in
refugee work, having aided in building a church and
establishing an orphanage.
Their Christmas activities consisted of the regular services
with a Christmas emphasis on Sunday, 23 December, a Christ-
mas Eve Protestant Communion Service at 2100 and a Cath-
olic High Mass at 2400. Chaplain Cleaves supervised a
caroling party which sang at all commands in the area.
Both chaplains attended Christmas parties at orphanages.
Chaplain Charlie R. Harrison had reported in No-
vember and had been left with the units remaining
behind at Pusan. He acted also as Supply Chaplain
for the Wing, being the only one left near the Army
Chaplains Supply Depot. Conducting Protestant
worship, he had secured the services of a civilian priest
for Christmas masses. The Wing units at Itami had
been covered by Air Force chaplains.
Cardinal Spellman arrived in the Wing on 29 De-
cember. Seymour wrote :
We had a schedule arranged for him and he followed it to
the letter. Chaplains Sullivan, Horvath, Cleaves, and I ac-
companied the generals and the Cardinal in the tour of our
activities. Arrangements were made for him to meet the
troops, which he did very graciously. The commanding
general, Maj. Gen. C. F. Schilt, is very kindly disposed to-
ward the Chaplain's Department and took the entire day
attending . . . the Cardinal.
Wisconsin
During the winter months from November 1951
onward, the Division faced an enemy securely dug in
on the reverse of the heights, manning the forward
slopes with mere sentry forces.3 It was the opinion
of Maj. Gen. J. T. Selden, 1st Marine Division com-
mander, that only naval gunfire could effectively
destroy such positions, some of them regimental com-
mand posts, often connected by long tunnels with the
exposed forward positions.
Consequently, for 2J/2 months, guns of the WIS-
CONSIN and the cruisers ST. PAUL, ROCHES-
TER, and MANCHESTER supported the Division
by deep naval gunfire, at a range of from 10 to 16
miles. Not only were enemy bunkers and artillery
emplacements reduced, but enemy morale was notably
shaken. One prisoner revealed that his battalion's
political "commissar" had thought the American
Navy was using atomic artillery, so huge were the
craters resulting from the explosion of 16-inch shells.
The WISCONSIN was the third battleship recom-
missioned and ordered to duty in Korea. (MIS-
SOURI had been relieved in March 1951, and would
return in October 1952. NEW JERSEY was relieved
in November 1951, returning to the war in April
1953.) In December she participated in a heavy
bombardment of the east coast port of Wonsan, as
part of the siege which had been going on since
February.4
The Roman Catholic chaplain in WISCONSIN
was Eugene J. Kapalczynski, who had reported to the
ship in Norfolk on 21 October 1951. Attached to
the 2d Marine Division, Kapalczynski had received
his orders "in the field," for the Division was engaged
in maneuvers on the island of Vieques, P.R. After
flights via Roosevelt Roads and San Juan, P.R.,
Miami, and Marine Air Station, Cherry Point, N.C.,
' Cagle and Manson, op.
tIbid.,-p. 414.
cit., pp. 332-4.
— 114 —
Cardinal in Korea — 1951.
Francis Cardinal Spellman thanks men of MAG 33 for "the wonderful job you're doing for America here in Korea.'
Mass Aboard Ship.
haplain Eugene J. Kapalczynski holds Mass aboard the
WISCONSIN of the U.S. 7th Fleet.
The Morning Scripture Lesson.
Personnel of the WISCONSIN hear the reading of Scripture
by their chaplain, H. W. Buckingham.
S35332 0 — 60 9
115
the chaplain was detached by Commanding Officer
(Rear Echelon), at Camp Lejeune, and proceeded to
join his ship. He was, he wrote the Chief of Chap-
lains, received most cordially by Chaplain Herbert W.
Buckingham, Bapt. (A) , who had been aboard already
since January.
During service in the war theater the chaplains kept
busy. Kapalczynski reported that during General
Quarters he took his battle station on the bridge. It
was his practice to pronounce a General Absolution
and the Lord's Prayer over the "I.M.C." (an internal
communication system operating directly from the
bridge) . Like so many others, he offered his services
to ships without a chaplain. "Even during opera-
tions, on and off the Korean bombline, Sunday Divine
Services were conducted for destroyers. Transporta-
tion was by helicopter or highline."
Cardinal Spellman came aboard during Christmas-
tide, arriving by helicopter, and was greeted by Vice
Adm. H. M. Martin, Commander 7th Fleet, whose
flag had been transferred to WISCONSIN. During
a day of touring the ship he chatted with officers and
men, delivered a Christmas message over the ship's
radio station, WHIZ, and offered to send a personal
message, when he returned home, to next-of-kin of
any personnel desiring it. (More than 600 took him
up on the offer. ) Next day, following an early Mass,
the Cardinal returned ashore.
Chaplain Buckingham reported that occasionally
members of ship's company were wounded by enemy
fire and sometimes others brought aboard for treat-
ment. In December an unidentified North Korean
prisoner of war, severely wounded, was transferred to
WISCONSIN. A hospitalman, Harold Berger, do-
nated blood for use during an operation but strenuous
efforts to save his life failed. The next day, in a
Casualty Coming Aboard.
Helicopter approaches the landing platform of the CONSOLATION with a casualty.
— 116 —
Absent Rabbi.
In the absence of a Jewish chaplain, Lt. (jg. ) William Jasper leads the services on the ANTIETAM.
surely unusual ceremony, that former enemy was
buried at sea. Eight sailors acted as pallbearers, and
the ship's Marine detachment and band provided
military honors. Both chaplains read prayers.
Hanukkah
There are usually only a limited number of Jewish
chaplains on active duty, assigned to large bases. The
T/O also allowed a Marine division one Jewish chap-
lain. Those who served in the 1st Division in Korea
had been Garson Goodman, Elihu Rickel, and, in the
period here under review, Reuben Siegel. In No-
vember 1951 Arnold J. Wolf was ordered to Fleet
Activities, Yokosuka to minister to Jewish personnel in
units under Commander Naval Forces, Far East.
Often other chaplains encourage Jewish men to
conduct their own services and sometimes they do so
on their own initiative. One such group was to be
found in the ANTIETAM. Composed of 25 officers
and men, the congregation was organized in Septem-
ber 1951 shortly after the ship sailed for Korea. Jew-
ish religious affairs tend to be democratically organ-
ized and the presence of a rabbi is not necessary for
the conduct of worship. It is, however, customary to
have a "president" — in this case Lt. (j.g.) William
Jasper, a dental officer.
Some of the men were from Conservative back-
ground, others Reform, and still others Orthodox.
The problem of what type service to hold was settled
by encouraging a different person to conduct worship
each week, so that from week to week the service would
reflect first one tradition and then another.
Probably the Jewish congregation in the "Flying A"
was the first to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, 5712 (1951).
The ship had just crossed the date line, and thus its
service really began the New Year for the Jewish
world. Only 14 hours later would the hour of usher-
ing in the New Year have arrived in New York, and
21, in Hawaii.
On Yom Kippur the ship was docked at Yokosuka,
and arrangements were made for the men to attend
Day of Atonement services in the Army chapel at
Yokohama. Sukkoth (Feast of Booths) found the
ship in the Sea of Japan, so the congregation held
their own service.
— 117 —
Hanukkah came while the ship was again at sea.
Air operations made it impossible for the Menorah
(the traditional eight-branched candelabrum) to be
lighted on each of the eight nights, but on the first
night the first one was lighted and a discussion of the
meaning of the festival followed.
A strong feature of ANTIETAM's Jewish religious
program was a weekly discussion held after the Sab-
bath eve service. Topics included differences in the
three American Jewish communities, as well as such
as the following: the American Jew and the State of
Israel, religion by television (based on an article in
the New York Times), and Jewish post-Biblical
literature.
Division Roster
On 1 January 1952 Chaplain Peck sent to the Chief
of Chaplains the roster of chaplains then serving with
the 1st Marine Division in Korea. With the excep-
tions of Chaplains Power, Jolly, and Schneck there
had been a complete change from that given for 1
August 1951.
Peck, W. S., Jr.
CDR
Brooks, W. E LCDR
Ecker.J. L LCDR
Stamper, R. L LCDR
Felder, G.,Jr LCDR
Schneck, R. J LCDR
Pipho, E. W LCDR
Ruleman, R. N LCDR
Oliver, A. M LCDR
Yierling, W. J LCDR
Lonergan, V.J LCDR
Gallagher, J. P. F. LCDR
Follard,J. F LT
Curtis, J. L LT
Jones, B. L LT
O'Neill, J. J LT
Penning, R. C LT
Power, B. S LT
Spohn, A. P LT
Jolly, E. W LT
Forney, J. F LT
Torstrick, M. E LTJG
Gibbons, A. R LTJG
Siegel, R LTJG
Duncan, H. C LTJG
Hoar, M. J LTJG
Wolfe, B. N LTJG
Korean Winter
There was no significant change in the pattern of
ground hostilities during the first 4 months of 1952.
Peck wrote to Chaplain Salisbury on 4 January:
Div Chaplain .
PRESBY
(USA)
1st Marines. - .
BAP (A)
Hdq Bn
RC
1 1th Marines. .
PRESBY
(US)
1st Eng Bn. . . .
LUTH
7th Marines. .
LUTH
1st Marines. . .
LUTH
5th Marines . .
METH
Hdq Bn
METH
1st AmTrac Bn
LUTH
11th Marines. .
RC
1st MoTr Bn. .
RC
Med Bn
RC
Serv Bn
BAP (S)
1st Ord Bn. . .
METH
5th Marines. . .
RC
1st Sig Bn. . . .
LUTH
(MoSy)
5th Marines. . .
METH
7 tli Marines. . .
LUTH
1st CmbSerGp
PRESBY
(US)
1 1 th Marines. .
DISC
1st ShParBn. .
BAP (S)
7th Marines . .
RC
Hdq Bn
JEWISH
1 st Tank Bn . .
METH
1st Marines. . .
RC
1 1th Marines.
BAP (S)
There is no change in the military situation, except the
knowledge that the enemy can now bomb us if they desire.
Therefore our foxholes have been dug a bit deeper than
before, and many rear area chaplains (including me!) who
formerly hadn't bothered have now what might be called
an alternate residence, in case of necessity.
Since November, in fact, the Chinese had begun to
show unusual activity in the air. Intelligence reports
indicated their possession of 1,400 planes, about half of
them Russian MIG jets.5 For the first time the enemy
began seriously to challenge United Nations air
supremacy in Korea. As the front lines dug in and
became more and more stable, there was less need of
close air support. Air Force B-29's continued their
smashing of supply and communications lines behind
the enemy front, but more and more F-86 Sabre jets
were needed to escort them. The area from the Yalu
River south to the North Korean capital at Pyongyang
in northwest Korea was dubbed "MIG Alley" by
UN aviators. In February more than 3,500 sight-
contacts of MIG's were made and at least 51 were
shot down or damaged in aerial combat.6 At sea
naval units of nine nations maintained a coastal block-
ade, and naval bombardment joined artillery and air
bombing to reduce enemy logistic support.7
Enemy guerillas continued to harass the UN forces
back of the front lines; larger patrols were sent out
into "no-man's land" ; the weather during January
and February remained cold, sometimes going to ten
or twelve degrees below zero; artillery duels continued.
Writing on 25 January Peck told Chaplain Salisbury:
"One company area received over 600 incoming
rounds in one day alone. ... So far none of the
chaplains has been hit, but it is becoming routine for
them to get pinned down a part of each day."
In January Peck issued another memorandum con-
cerning chaplain supplies. The Combat Service
Group chaplain was continued as Division Supply
Chaplain. It was noted that an order had been
placed with the Chaplains Division, Bureau of Naval
Personnel, for certain items of field equipment. The
Supply Chaplain was to secure supplies from Navy
channels (Chaplains Division, as well as Pacific Fleet
Chaplain, FMF Pac Chaplain, or COMNAVFE
Chaplain) as possible, and from the Army Chaplains
Warehouse, 2d Logistical Command, at Pusan. Fur-
ther, each chaplain was furnished a list of all items
available to him through his unit S-A (supply) sec-
5 Britannica Book of the Year, 1952; article, "Korean
War."
' Ibid., 1953 ; article, "Korean War."
'Cagle and Manson, op. cit., pp. 330ff. (on "seaborne
artillery'"); PP- 254ff. (naval air missions).
118
tion. Chaplain Peck noted in a letter to the Chief of
Chaplains on 1 1 January 1952 that the "supply picture
seems to be clarified."
Comment on Training
It seemed to Peck that much of the training time at
Camp Pendleton for chaplains ordered to Korea was
not really justified. He wrote to the Chief of Chap-
lains on 29 December 1951:
The type of operation the Division is presently engaged in
makes the necessity of a long training period open to ques-
tion. Of course the situation of a year ago could repeat itself
but that is unlikely. It appears from here that the Pendleton
training for chaplains without prior Marine experience would
be sufficient with a maximum of 20 days. Further, a period
of 7-10 days should be sufficient for chaplains with prior
Marine experience.
I am convinced that the medical phase of the Pendleton
training is of little value. ... At the present time there are
Hospital Corpsmen stumbling over each other throughout
the Division. That is to say, the medical people have their
own program well-organized. Even if the Division should
become engaged in full-scale combat, there would be no
necessity for a chaplain to perform Corpsman's duties, as
was the case in the early days of the Korean conflict.
On 17 January 1952 he wrote again:
At the risk of stepping out of the area of my responsibility,
may I state that it is my conviction, based on my own obser-
vations and the opinions expressed by many of the chaplains
serving here who have gone through the training at Pendle-
ton, that much of the training which is designed either for
medical personnel, or for enlisted and line personnel, is no
longer greatly applicable to the work of chaplains in Korea
at the present time. ... A longer time than the 20 days he
had recommended earlier might be indicated for men fresh
out of Chaplains School. But I think that for more expe-
rienced hands, even the 20 days could be cut in half without
any serious loss of effectiveness in their ministry in Korea.
The Chaplains Division was of course desirous of
giving its men whatever training would render them
most effective; at the same time, being short-handed,
it could not afford needless delay of chaplains from
actual duty. Chaplain Mannion wrote on 6 February
from the Chief of Chaplains' office, "We appreciate
your suggestion to send chaplains . . . without too
much delay at Camp Pendleton and arc in hearty
agreement with you on this score."
Composite Picture
In order to obtain definite information on the re-
ligious coverage within the Division, Chaplain Peck
assembled data from which a statistical analysis was
made, listing the actual coverage throughout the Di-
vision by denominational services held, by chaplains
conducting the services, and by units where services
were held. One section of this report is included as
appendix E to this volume. While obviously some of
the information would be out of date by the time it
appeared in print, inasmuch as services were fre-
quently shifted because of work schedule or tactical
situation, the report gives a dramatic sampling of the
work actually being done at a particular time.
During the period 1-15 February, Chaplain Peck's
semimonthly report to the Assistant Chief of Staff,
G-l, detailed the following chaplains' activities.
A. Number of Sunday services conducted — 134.
Attendance — 6,655.
Number of week-day services conducted — 207.
Attendance — 4,583.
B. Adequate Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewish cover-
age was afforded all Medical Companies of the 1st
Medical Battalion. Regimental and battalion aid sta-
tions were afforded continued Protestant and Catholic
coverage.
(a) Number of visits to hospitals and aid stations —
157.
(b) Number of patients visited — 952.
C. In addition to the above, the chaplains attached to the
1st Marine Division, FMF, held 1,327 counselling in-
terviews, wrote 157 letters with reference to personnel
problems, and conducted 91 special services or Bible
class sessions.
Typical of other reports for similar periods, the
figures cited here indicated that a higher percentage
of the 1st Marine Division personnel were attending
Divine Service than was probably the case in the aver-
age civilian community in the States.
Individual Aspects
With no decisive battles being fought, the winter
and early spring of 1952 were nonetheless grim
enough. Taking a religious ministry to the men of
the 1 st Division was always difficult and often hazard-
ous. Algernon M. Oliver, Regimental Chaplain. 1st
Marines, writing for himself and his associates. Chap-
lain Melvin E. Torstrick and Martin J. Hoar,
reported :
A large number of services arc necessary if all the men are
to be given the opportunity to attend. In some cases services
are held for units as small as a platoon, since men on the
lines often cannot leave their positions to attend services as
a company CP. Recently I conducted eight services in one
day, on the move from early morning until late afternoon.
In a short time you learn every hill in your sector and know
just how long it will take you to go from one place to another.
Perched high atop Korean mountains, many of the
men could be reached only after an exhausting climb
up icy. treacherous trails. Word that the "padre"
was about to have Divine Service would be passed
from bunker to bunker. The small portable altar
119
A Spiritual Haven.
As the Korean war rages with fury a short distance away,
marines able to attend divine services are calmed by the
words delivered by Chaplain A. M. Oliver.
would be set up, using ammunition boxes, C-ration
cases, or the top of a bunker. Usually the men stood,
though when Communion was served some of them
would kneel in ice and mud. Under such conditions
baptisms would sometimes be administered. On one
occasion, within a short distance of entrenched Chi-
nese and North Korean positions, with friendly artil-
lery beating a deafening accompaniment, Oliver
baptized Marine Pfc. M. P. Longon, using the "all-
purpose" helmet as a baptismal font.
From a news release written by M. Sgt. J. P. Shee-
han, Marine combat correspondent, comes the fol-
lowing account of a Memorial Service held by the 5th
Marines during the bleak mid-winter.
As the strains of the National Anthem echoed away
through the snow-covered valley, the Regimental Com-
mander, Col. Frank P. Hager, introduced the 1st Marine
Division Commanding General, Maj. Gen. John T. Sclden.
He reminded the Marines that "we are gathered here today
to pay homage to our comrades who are no longer with us.
They died with the spirit that is so well known in your
unit, the 5th Marines, from Belleau Woods of World War I,
to the Pacific islands of World War II, and now here in
Korea. This spirit has been handed down to all those who
have ever served the 5th. May God rest their souls and may
you live up to the spirit for which they died."
Prayers were offered by Chaplains Bashford S. Power
(Protestant), James F. Follard (Roman Catholic),
and Reuben Siegel (Jewish). The roll of the dead
was read by Chaplain J. P. F. Gallagher.
With the reading of the last name, a Marine firing squad
fired three volleys and a bugler sounded Taps. The Marines
marched off the parade ground. There were tear-stained
faces but they all were faces of men who shared a particular
pride and a rededicated resolution.
On a typical day Chaplain Henry C. Duncan would
leave his battalion CP in the early morning, follow-
ing the trail used by the "Chigger Bearers," as the
civilian Korean laborers were called who carted sup-
plies to the front lines on their backs. Accompanied
by his assistant, Marine Corporal Keith Bacus, he
would climb the trail straight up from a river valley
some 2,300 feet to the skyline. Once on the jagged
ridgeline he would go from bunker to bunker, hold-
ing brief services with small groups of men, as incom-
ing mortar and artillery shells crashed around.
After the service the chaplain (a former Marine
line officer, with combat service at Peleliu and Oki-
nawa) would give the men a briefing on the news of
the day, including the tactical situation — for front
line troops never know much of the "big picture,"
but only what transpires in their own small sector. He
went loaded down with stationery, corncob pipes, and
other "luxury" items procured from friends and vol-
unteer groups stateside, and undertook commissions
from the men for money orders to be sent home, radio
batteries, and the precious mantles for the gasoline
lanterns which provided their light. Each day's
"ridge-running" complete, the chaplain would slip and
slide down the precipitous trail to finish his duties at
the CP, ending the day by attending the staff briefings
and working into the night to write his day's report
and prepare his messages for the following day.
The other chaplains were similarly engaged. Chap-
lain Hoar reported: "I conducted five services on Ash
Wednesday with an attendance of 207. Holy Com-
munion was taken to the men on the frontlines."
Chaplain William E. Brooks reported making approx-
imately 650 contacts while visiting Marines in front-
line dug-in positions, and Chaplain Edmund W. Pipho
spent the first twelve days of March visiting men on
frontline outposts and holding Divine Services there.
Chaplain Fredric J. Forney, 11th Marines, organ-
ized a chapel choir, reporting that it helped increase
attendance at Divine Service. Chaplain Billy N.
Wolfe wrote that services were frequently interrupted
by artillery fire but "always completed." As a South-
ern Baptist Wolfe was accustomed to use grape juice
for Communion. "However, in the Korean winter
the grape juice froze solid and I was faced with a hard
decision: either deny my men the Communion serv-
ice they wanted, or use wine contrary to my church's
120-
Chaplain Distributes Religious Literature.
Chaplain Arnold P. Spohn distributes religious literature to
newly arrived Marine replacements.
practice and custom. I served my men and asked
God's pardon under the circumstances."
Chaplain Arnold P. Spohn, while in the 7th Ma-
rines, at the front, administered Holy Communion at
each service, including "at least three services on Sun-
day at the Command Post and larger mortar groups,
and also approximately three to five services 4 days
each week in the platoons along the line."
Chaplain Robert J. Schneck one Sunday afternoon
"rigged for church" on the hood of a jeep in a dry
stream bed. Enemy action had been relatively light
and the banks appeared to afford cover. Some 20
men attended and received Communion. Schneck's
own account continues:
All went well until the chaplain was facing the altar for
postcommunion prayers. The enemy took that opportunity
to lob a few rounds of artillery into the valley. When the
chaplain turned, his congregation had all but disappeared.
The chaplain again faced the altar, and as he turned a sec-
ond time to pray the benediction, his congregation had some-
how returned. The benediction pronounced, the chaplain
again faced the altar. As he turned the third time, to say a
few parting words, he discovered his congregation already
departed.
With a sigh of thanks that nothing had happened, he
turned to the altar preparatory to packing up. He was sur-
prised to see everything secured and the chaplain's assistant
already stepping on the jeep's starter. With a fine grin and
an impatient wave the assistant declared, "Come on, Boss,
let's get out of here before the blessing wears off."
"God Fixed That One"
A young Marine, perhaps 19 years old, had been
brought into "A" Company, 1st Medical Battalion, in
mild shock and losing blood from a missile wound
through the main artery of the upper leg. The sur-
geon, himself young, perhaps 27 or so, was faced with
a difficult decision. To amputate would be relatively
safe but would condemn the young man to a life of
handicap. To attempt to repair the artery was a
delicate operation requiring great skill; the surgeon
had seen it done but had never performed it himself.
It might save the leg, but the chances of success were
slighter. Chaplain Schneck was standing by. He
later wrote :
The surgeon closed his eyes and so did the chaplain. And
then the operation to repair the artery began. It was long
and tedious.
Two days "post-op" I happened to be in the surgical
ward tent at the same time our surgeon friend was making
his rounds. I was behind him when he reached the cot of
our young Marine. ... He began to talk to the patient
and, while talking, almost hesitatingly touched the foot of
the shattered leg. A smile appeared. Turning around, the
surgeon saw me. "It's warm," he said. Those two words
meant that the arterial repair had been successful since
blood was reaching the foot. I congratulated the surgeon
with great warmth and respect. He looked at me momen-
tarily and then remarked, "Thanks for the prayers, padre.
God fixed that one."
Chaplain Felder made a practice of following up
through weekly visitations the men from his unit
evacuated to rear area hospitals. He would carry
greetings from the officers and men of the man's unit,
and wrote letters of appreciation to those men for
their service, for the signature of the battalion
commander.
Lay Leadership
Numerous instances were reported of laymen assist-
ing in the conduct of religious activities. A Marine
major in his artillery battalion assisted Chaplain
Forney by taking services when the chaplain was ful-
filling commitments elsewhere. Felder reported that
officers and men conducted their own services or held
prayer groups between the chaplain's visits, often
utilizing literature which he brought to them. In
Marine Observation Squadron VMO-6, its leading
chief, M. Sgt. C. W. Horton, USMC, conducted semi-
weekly Bible classes at his unit's small air strip within
sound of enemy fire.
121
11th Marines Memorial
Of all the ties of respect and friendship developed
within small fighting units, perhaps none was closer
than that frequently found in the "gun sections" of
the artillery. Precision and skill were essential to com-
bat effectiveness, but no more so than the cooperation
of the gun section members working as a team. Such
comradeship received overt recognition when the 2d
Battalion, Uth Marines dedicated a memorial hall in
honor of men from their unit who had given their
lives in line of duty.
To save material the large tent served a triple pur-
pose: it was mess hall, theater, and chapel in one.
An altar was constructed of precious plywood, with
a background made from cargo parachutes, and am-
munition boxes fastened together provided seats. As
the battalion gathered for the dedication ceremony,
under the leadership of the battalion commander, men
of all faiths listened in respectful silence as the names
were read of those artillerymen, their "buddies,"
whose lives had become a sacrifice in the cause of
justice and world order. Both Protestant and Roman
Catholic chaplains took part.
Rotation
The tour of duty for chaplains in Korea had thus
far averaged around 6 months. Chaplain J. P. Man-
nion, Assistant Director of the Chaplains Division,
wrote to Chaplain Peck on 6 February 1952 :
On the recommendation of the Fleet and Force Chaplains
and responsible line officers, it has been determined to
lengthen the tour of duty in Korea to about 10 months.
This change in policy will not affect chaplains presently on
duty, but only those who will be ordered after 1 February.
We shall do everything in our power to relieve the chap-
lains presently on duty with the 1st Marine Division at the
end of the sixth month or during the seventh month. How-
ever, as you know, there are so many due for rotation in
April that we may find difficulty in getting them all out on
schedule.
Beginning in February orders were written so that
a chaplain might be detached, not when a named re-
lief reported in, but within a 1- to 2-month period.
Giving the Division Chaplain a measure of latitude
regarding the detachment of chaplains serving with
him was thought by Peck to have several advantages.
He wrote on 14 February.
We have received the dispatch containing orders for de-
tachment of Chaplains Ruleman, Vierling, and Fenning in
March or April, and Chaplain Curtis in April or May. That
is the best way of writing orders, as far as coverage is con-
cerned out here. I believe that method of naming 1 or 2
months will keep a situation from developing where we are
overstrength or under on our coverage.
On 29 February, he wrote further:
The information [in a recent letter from the Chaplains
Division], from which I can figure ETA [estimated time of
arrival] in Korea is a tremendous help. That information
coupled with the way the orders are now being written . . .
will make it possible not to have so many switches of assign-
ment right after a man gets here, as happened when I first
came and there were the same large numbers of chaplains
being replaced. It will also prohibit an overlay of chap-
lains by having us at no time over our complement (except
over Easter, perhaps, when you said to retain the chaplains
in order to be amply strengthened at that time) .
This is a really perfect system from our standpoint. To
know in advance who is coming and when, and who is to go
and when, makes it possible for whoever has my job to do a
far better job, and by not being faced with necessity of
changing the chaplains around too much, they can do a
better job.
Later Peck reported, "The command here waits for
word from this office before executing orders on
chaplains."
Chaplain T/O
With units of the Division increasingly deployed
over widespread areas, it was difficult with seven
Roman Catholic chaplains to effect adequate cov-
erage. Peck frequently noted in his weekly letters
to the Chief of Chaplains the need for an additional
one, especially since rear echelon units had of neces-
sity been receiving Catholic ministrations from Army
chaplains and non-English speaking Korean priests.
Notified that an eighth Roman Catholic chaplain
was on his way, Peck wrote on 29 February:
We are especially glad for the eighth Catholic chaplain;
he is more needed now than before. To give you some idea
of our geographical problem, these two new concentrations
of our men [1,000 in 1 new place and 1,500 in another] are
approximately 55 miles apart, 1 of them 8 miles over rugged
hills from the Division CP, the other 47 miles the other way.
In the same letter Peck wrote concerning the Table
of Organization for chaplains serving with a Marine
Division.
If this Division is committed to action it needs all of the
chaplains listed on the complement given at the top of my
roster; of these eight (8) should be Catholic. If a cease-
fire and armistice is reached, and the Division becomes a
part of occupation troops, I am convinced adequate cov-
erage could be given . . . with four (4) fewer Protestants.
With a different geographical and terrain setup, which would
be the case if we were pulled out of Korea, that could be
increased to read five (5) fewer Protestants and one (1) less
Catholic. However, that is only in the case of a so-called
peacetime setup and not committed to action.
Someone did a splendid piece of work when the comple-
ment for a Marine Division was set up. It is perfect for
times when committed to action. It is a bit heavy otherwise.
-122
Worship at Pusan.
Chaplain Edwin F. Carr conducts services on board the ROCHESTER in Pusan Harbor.
Air-Gun Strikes
In April Admiral Joy ordered a series of coordinated
air and surface ship gun strikes, the first against
Chongjin.8 Carrier plans from the BOXER and
PHILIPPINE SEA joined ST. PAUL and U.S. and
British destroyers in the effort. Two weeks later
IOWA, joined by three destroyers and planes from
Task Force 77, again pounded that target. Such
combined operations were to be continued to the
end of the war.
IOWA was the fourth and last battleship returned
to active duty, serving in the war zone from late
March to mid-October 1952. Senior chaplain was
Jerome J. Sullivan who, after some 14 months in the
HELENA, was ordered to the IOWA, where he
served for a year. Junior chaplain was Don M.
Michael, who was transferred from ANTIETAM.
The chaplains tried to serve the destroyers operat-
ing with them, usually crossing by helicopter.
Chaplain Michael reported visiting the destroyer
MACKENZIE on Easter Day to celebrate Holy Com-
munion. On his own ship the service was held below
decks while her guns were firing support missions for
troops on the front. Of this he later commented:
1 Ibid., pp. 347-9.
"The contrast was evident to the men in attendance
between the tenets of Christian faith and the conflicts
of men." Experience taught him the need for a state
of constant readiness; because of frequent changes in
the daily operating schedule of IOWA, arrangements
for Divine Sendee often had to be altered and services
held on "as little as 15 minutes notice."
When Chaplain Sullivan was transferred to the
IOWA, C. W. Ackley had become chaplain in
HELENA. (HELENA was then out of the war zone,
but would return in June 1952.) George R. Brosius
had succeeded Ackley as chaplain in SPERRY.
JUNEAU, after participating in the first, second,
and fourth Korean campaigns, returned in April
1952. Her chaplain from May 1951 to May 1953 was
Arthur L. Dominy, following B. J. Davis.
E. F. Carr was still chaplain in the ROCHESTER,
D. J. Kosky in MANCHESTER, and F. H. Wickham
in ST. PAUL. Chaplain W. J. Organ was still serv-
ing in LOS ANGELES and L. C. M. Vosseler in
TOLEDO. In May 1952 the BREMERTON would
take up station in Korean waters; her chaplain was
Louis C. Smith.
Destroyers
Chaplain H. W. JefTers, previously attached to De-
stroyer Squadron 3, reported aboard the tender
— 123 —
DIXIE in January 1952, relieving R. A. Vaughan.
"Tin can" chaplains were evidently still working out
patterns for their ministry. Of his work Jeffers wrote :
The Commodore, not knowing exactly how to govern my
work, gave me permission to move at will from ship to ship
on the condition that I keep him informed of my location.
While in the forward area I tried to move at least once a
week to another ship in my division to better cover the
division and encourage the lay leadership program. Com-
manding officers ware very cooperative in passing the chap-
lain when another ship in the division came alongside with
the mail or during refueling or replenishing operations.
Other changes were made. W. S. Powell was
transferred from ComDesRon 1 to the tender FRON-
TIER. Charles E. Hailstone had reported to DesRon
5, Harold F. Symons to DesRon 7, Raymond W.
Moore to DesRon 9, and George B. Riley to DesRon
13. Edward O. Riley was assigned to Commander
Destroyer Division 32.
When it is noted that all these chaplains except
Edward Riley were Protestants, it would appear that
the need for equitable coverage demanded that the
Roman Catholic chaplain be assigned to a larger
command, in order to be able to move more freely
and extend his ministry more widely.
Carrier Chaplains
The carriers continued interdiction campaigns dur-
ing this period. J. P. Murphy was still in the
PHILIPPINE SEA. He wrote to Chaplain Salisbury
of the arrival on 16 March of Gordon B. Galaty, an
Episcopalian. The "Phil Sea" had been short a chap-
lain; for when Barnes and Murphy had, in effect, ex-
changed assignments in the carrier and 1st MAW,
the former Roman Catholic chaplain, H. E. Meade,
was also transferred. Since then nearly a year had
elapsed. Murphy expressed delight that the Chap-
lains Division had decided to "have two chaplains
aboard the CV's."
There was one hitch, however. Galaty had re-
turned to active duty in August 1950 and it appeared
that, according to current regulations, he would be
eligible for return to inactive duty in late November.
There was clearly still a shortage of chaplains, and the
release of Reserves who had fulfilled their obligated
service would in the future add further pressures.
In the PRINCETON Chaplain R. F. McManus
was relieved by Thomas F. McNeill, a Reserve who,
having returned to active duty in September 1950,
would serve 27 months before being released to inac-
tive duty in January 1953.
Chaplain Cook was relieved in VALLEY FORGE,
after nearly 2 years, by Prescott B. Wintersteen. In
its third combat tour, the ship had long since come
to appreciate the nightly "lights out" prayer given by
the chaplains over the "inter-com." One prayer of
Chaplain Cook's may be thought worth recording.
Almighty God, our Father, our thoughts turn tonight to
our comrades-in-arms in Korea. Be pleased, we pray Thee,
to grant them Thy most gracious protection against the
enemy and the weather and from every peril. Let Thy
fatherly hand be over them, and grant them sure trust in
Thee.
In these critical hours of negotiation for a cease-fire agree-
ment, guide our leaders that they make no decision that
will compromise truth, and no error in judgment of righteous-
ness and justice: for we fight for truth and justice for all
men.
If peace means the sacrifice of these, for us or those who
shall live after us, grant us the courage and fortitude to
continue, in war if necessary, by peaceful means if possible,
until, if it be Thy holy will, a lasting peace of freedom from
tyranny, freedom from fear, freedom from want shall come
to all the nations of earth. We pray in the name of Jesus our
Savior, our friend, and our companion of the way. Amen.
Paul J. Knapp had served with Chaplain Cook dur-
ing the first year of the war. Because of serious fam-
ily illness he was detached without relief and VAL-
LEY FORGE was without a Roman Catholic chap-
lain until Pius F. Keating reported in March 1952.
Keating was a "jg." with less than a year's active duty,
having served at Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton,
after graduation from Chaplains School in Class 1-51.
Chaplains in the BOXER, now in its fourth Korean
tour, were G A. Hoglan (who had been aboard since
his recall in September 1950) and J. A. Keeley. Kee-
ley had previously served in BON HOMME
RICHARD but when that ship returned stateside in
December 1951, the chaplain was transferred in Ala-
meda, Calif., to the BOXER, before she started to the
Far East once again. It thus appears that the Chap-
lains Division was forced to transfer chaplains, even
after only a few months, from ships leaving Korea
in order to keep the complement filled on those slated
for active war service. Even so it was not always pos-
sible to have two chaplains in the large carriers.
Escort Carriers
Chaplain O. B. Salyer was relieved in BADOENG
STRAIT in June 1951 by Warren L. Wolf, who
would remain until May 1953. Chaplain C. O Sul-
livan was relieved in SICILY in December 1951 by
George A. Jacobs, who served until his release to in-
active duty in December 1952. Both followed the
practice of their predecessors in trying to get around
to as many small ships as possible, administering Com-
124-
Seder.
Chaplain Reuben Siegel is shown with Lt. Col. Sidney J. Altman. division provost marshal, Chaplain Slattery, Mr. Peterson,
Red Cross representative of the division, and Chaplain Ernest Wolfram as they partake of the Seder meal in celebration
of Passover.
Marines Sing Hymns.
Voices of marines break the cold crisp night air in Korea as they sing adoration to God during a mission conducted in
preparation for the coming lenten season.
125 —
munion and encouraging whoever might be carrying
on religious activities.
Chaplain J. J. Coffey was still aboard the BATAAN.
Chaplain R. W. Moore, serving in DesRon 9, replied
in his questionnaire:
During Holy Week 1952 it was arranged with the chap-
lain in USS BATAAN to have him visit my destroyers for
Roman Catholic masses, while I conducted Good Friday
services in his ship and other Holy Week services in the re-
maining destroyers. We were operating off the coast of
Korea. These transfers were accomplished by helicopter.
Two other escort carriers were operating in the
war theater during this period. The BAIROKO had
been in Korean waters from November 1950 to Sep-
tember 1951; returning in December 1951, she was
present until June 1952. Her chaplain was David M.
Humphreys, from August 1950 to August 1952. The
RENDOVA served in Korean waters only from Au-
gust to December 1951. Chaplain Hugh T. McManus
had been aboard since March.
Easter 1952
Chaplain Salisbury had planned to visit Korea for
Easter, 1952. Maj. Gen. John T. Selden, command-
ing the 1st Division, wrote to Salisbury expressing his
hope that the visit could be accomplished. Invita-
tions were extended to the Chief of Chaplains to
preach at an all-Division Sunrise Service and else-
where in the Division. But it was not to be possible.
Salisbury wrote on 8 March, "There are a number of
matters which keep me here and my superiors feel
that it would be best for me to remain within calling
distance."
During March the picture began to change. The
following are excerpts from Peck's letters to the Chief
of Chaplains:
11 March 1952.
It looks as if the worst of the winter is over. Our nights
are cold, but the days are brisk, sunny springtime days — and
it certainly lifts the spirits.
On the military front it has been a week of a great deal
of incoming mortar and artillery rounds. The men in our
sector have taken a pounding and the chaplains of the
5th and 7th Marines have had a rough go of it making the
ridge-lines on their rounds. . . . The order has gone out
prohibiting any walking of the ridge-line during the daylight
not dictated by absolute military necessity. Therefore the
chaplains are experimenting with covering the lines during
the evening hours, talking to men in bunkers.
17 March 1952.
There is considerable activity here right now. I cannot
say more except to advise you that some of my next letters
may have to be handwritten, although I will do my best to
type them, since I always send copies to the CINCPAC
Fleet Chaplain and the FMF Chaplain.
Peck was referring to a major move then under-
way. Until 12 March 1952 the Division had been
located on the east flank of the X Corps sector, with
the ROK I Corps between it and the Sea of Japan.
In the middle of March it began moving to the west-
ernmost end of the UN line. The excerpts from
Peck's letters to Chaplain Salisbury continue:
26 March 1952.
We are moved and back in business. The situation is en-
tirely new and in a great state of flux from a religious cover-
age standpoint . . . I'm glad that Chaplain Slattery [Peck's
relief] is here for he can learn this picture from the start
and be in on whatever decisions have to be made. . . .
There is even a larger geographical area we have to cover
than we had before, but we are out of the mountains.
There will be a VD problem here for we have many
civilians around. That will get the chaplains into a phase
of activity which we haven't needed to have during the
winter.
We are also located where we will get many church
VIP's. I wrote once before they didn't get up into the moun-
tains where we wintered but they are sure to come here.
As it turns out, with conditions as they are here now, I'm
sure you'll find your visit later in the year will be more
satisfactory. In this turmoil we couldn't have done your
visit justice. I am still going to have an Easter Sunrise
Service but it will not be the all-Division affair I'd planned
in the other area. We will have to have a number of them.
3 April 1952.
We have the problem of coverage pretty well in hand now.
Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Easter, and Jewish Passover Serv-
ices will all be held now, and everyone will have an op-
portunity to participate. They moved units and then moved
them again, until it was quite a race to keep our plans for
total coverage up to date. . . . Field conditions create a
need for flexibility that no other place demands.
During Lent four Roman Catholic chaplains
(Joseph P. F. Gallagher, John J. O'Neill, Vincent J.
Lonergan, and James F. Follard) were able to con-
duct a 3-day mission in a rear area. Each evening
as approximately 500 personnel of the 5th Marines
gathered in a makeshift chapel, the chaplains
preached words of guidance and comfort; and
through the cold, crisp air could be heard the sound
of prayers for the repose of the souls of fallen com-
rades, for world peace, and for protection amidst the
perils and sin of the world.
On Easter Day Chaplain John L. Curtis, 1st Sup-
ply Battalion, conducted a Sunrise Service at Head-
quarters, 8th Army (Advance), at Munsan-ni, the
camp of the UN delegates, preached the sermon.
(General Harrison was well-known for his personal
interest in Christian faith, and active in the promotion
of the Officers' Christian Union, an interservice asso-
ciation of Protestant churchmen.)
— 126 —
I Believe.
Father James Follard, CP, teaches the beliefs of the Catholic
faith during a mission conducted in Korea. Chaplains
(left to right) lending their support are John O'Neill,
Joseph Gallagher, and Vincent Lonergan.
Front Line Easter Services.
Chaplain Melvin E. Torstrick conducts Easter morning
services for the 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, near the front
Chaplain Edward A. Slattery, having reported to
the Division earlier, relieved Peck on 17 April. In
his first letter as Division Chaplain to the Chief of
Chaplains, he reported: "On Easter we had over 80
Divine Services. In order to conduct them the boys
hit the road for a total of well over 500 miles and
that mileage is not on any straight smooth highway."
Just before Peck was relieved he had been visited
by his opposite number, the Reverend W. W. P.
Rhys, senior chaplain to the Forces of the 1st Com-
monwealth Division, an Anglican priest, veteran of
campaigns with the Royal Army in North Africa, East
Africa, and Palestine. Slattery was present at the
meeting.
Toward the end of his duty Chaplain Peck wrote
to Chaplain Salisbury:
I can honestly say this tour of duty has taught me a great
deal as a senior chaplain, and it has been a constant inspira-
tion and challenge to see the way the chaplains give of them-
selves to stomp these hills in the cold to visit their men.
I feel like Bob Schwyhart [Division Chaplain from September
1950 to 20 February 1951] who wrote me when I was com-
ing out — he said he wouldn't want to go through it again,
but he wouldn't take anything for the experience. I believe
some of our most trying times are our most rewarding
experiences.
Citations
Chaplain Peck was subsequently awarded the Le-
gion of Merit w'h Combat "V" for "exceptionally
Chaplain Walter S. Peck, Jr., is relieved
by Chaplain E. A. Slattery (left)
as division
17 April 1
chaplain
952.
127
Field Mass.
Chaplain John J. O'Neill celebrates mass in the field for
marines at a forward position.
meritorious conduct ... as Division Chaplain for
a Marine division during operations against the enemy
in Korea from 8 October 1951 to 16 April 1952."
The citation continues:
Commander Peck displayed exceptional ability and fore-
sight in caring for the spiritual welfare of all the Marines
coming under his jurisdiction. An understanding and capa-
ble leader, wise and persevering, he organized his section in
such an outstanding manner that spiritual services and
guidance were always available to those who were in the
greatest need. Frequently making journeys throughout the
entire division in the most adverse conditions of weather and
terrain, he worked long and arduous hours with little con-
cern for his personal health, in order to insure that all
Marines received the opportunity to attend services in their
own particular faith.
Chaplain John J. O'Neill was awarded the Air
Medal for the period 19 November 1951 to 8 January
1952. His citation reads in part :
Utilizing air transportation to reach the front line units,
Lieutenant (jg. ) O'Neill repeatedly flew over action combat
areas in a slow, unarmed aircraft to conduct religious
services for friendly troops at the front.
Chaplain O'Neill also received the Letter of Com-
mendation award for action on 8 January 1952.
When well-entrenched enemy forces gained fire superi-
ority over a Marine patrol, inflicting heavy casualties, Lieu-
tenant O'Neill left his battalion command post immediately
and proceeded to the scene of the battle in order to give
spiritual aid to members of the patrol. Alone and unarmed,
with no thought for his own personal safety, he fearlessly
worked his way through intense enemy fire to reach the
patrol and for 45 minutes exposed himself while adminis-
tering last rites to the wounded and dying. To the other
members of the patrol, his shouted words of encouragement
served as a constant source of inspiration.
Ridge-Runners Rewarded
Five other chaplains received the Letter of Com-
mendation with Combat "V" for periods of service
terminating within the 7th Campaign. It is instruc-
tive to read their citations, noting how frequently is
mentioned their ministry to small Marine units dug in
on the mountainous slopes of northeastern Korea.
The citation of Chaplain Robert N. Ruleman, for
the period 14 September 1951 to 17 January 1952,
reads in part:
On numerous occasions he refused opportunities to retire
to safer areas in the rear. His creed lay in serving with the
"Fighting Man," and regardless of the situation he remained
with the front line troops. Whether it was to solace the
weary, comfort the wounded, or dispense the Word of God,
he discharged his responsibilities in a manner which pro-
vided a reverent inspiration to all who observed him.
Chaplain William E. Brooks, Jr., was cited for the
period from 29 October 1951 to 29 January 1952.
While the regiment was committed in defensive action
against the enemy, he personally visited every man on the
front lines many times. He conducted divine services in
the forward-most areas when it was impossible for men to
attend services elsewhere.
Chaplain Vincent J. Lonergan's citation, covering
the period from 28 October 1951 to 4 February 1952,
indicates how widespread a chaplain's ministry might
be.
Lieutenant Commander Lonergan, serving as the regi-
ment's Catholic chaplain, worked tirelessly with complete
disregard for his health and personal safety, to give spiritual
aid not only to the men in the regiment but to two medical
companies, Army engineers, Marine engineers, and Marine
service troops. On one occasion he fearlessly exposed him-
self to intense enemy fire to give spiritual consolation to the
wounded Marines of an artillery battery and to members of
an infantry regiment's command post.
Chaplain Joseph P. F. Gallagher was commended
for service as a regimental chaplain from 16 January
to 4 April 1952.
Working for the most part under the most adverse ter-
rain and climate conditions, and often in areas that were
exposed to enemy mortar and small arms fire, he faithfully
held services for and administered to the men and officers
of the regiment.
The citation accompanying Chaplain Robert G.
Fenning's award, covering the period 26 January-30
April 1952, states the case very explicitly.
He constantly ministered to the spiritual needs of the
men in the battalion by going from bunker to bunker in
order not to assemble a group of men where they could be
128 —
targets for enemy artillery or mortar fire. Traveling through
extreme cold, stormy weather over rugged mountainous
terrain, he continually stayed with the men, giving instruc-
tions and conducting religious services without regard for
his personal safety.
MAW Chaplain Personnel
Acting Wing Chaplain Seymour's report to the
Chief of Chaplains dated 12 February 1952 detailed
the following personnel picture. Chaplain R. D.
Cleaves had departed on 1 February, and Seymour
was giving Protestant coverage to Marine Aircraft
Group 33 in addition to his own duties. Chaplain
Horvath, transferred to headquarters, was replaced at
Marine Aircraft Group 12 by Chaplain La Duca.
E. R. Weidler remained as Protestant chaplain in
MAG 12. J. A. Sullivan continued as Roman
Catholic chaplain in MAG 33. Chaplain Harrison
was still in Pusan, attached to the Marine antiaircraft
artillery battalion. There was no Navy chaplain with
the units at Itami.
The Chaplains Division had run into unexpected
difficulties in detailing a replacement for Chaplain
Barnes as Wing Chaplain. Barnes had received or-
ders in October 1951 detaching him on the arrival of
his relief, Chaplain E. R. Brewster. Because of
serious illness in his family, Barnes was detached in
November without relief. On 5 December Chaplain
Brewster's orders were modified, granting him 20 days
delay because of the illness of his father; and on 19
December his orders to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
were canceled because of further illness in his family.
On 26 December Chaplain Joseph F. Parker was or-
Worship for Replacements.
A large group of Marine replacements on their way to front-
line duty with the 1st Division attend services conducted
by Chaplain Robert C. Fenning.
1
1 *\
J?. 1
i V
*5 J0[
f^M
dered to the Wing but his orders were canceled be-
cause his wife was critically ill. On 29 December
Chaplain William J. Kuhn was ordered but upon
physical examination was hospitalized in San
Francisco.
After this series of setbacks the Air Wing Com-
manding General, C. F. Schilt, wrote directly to Chap-
lain Salisbury:
The 1st Marine Air Wing is one of the few organizations
of the Naval Service engaged in land combat and has per-
sonnel at five main locations in Korea and one in Japan.
As you know an adequate number of competent chaplains
is essential to good morale in an organization committed as
we are. Under the circumstances I believe you will agree
with me that the Wing has not received proper treatment,
having been without a Wing Chaplain since November.
After commending Seymour's work as Acting Wing
Chaplain and suggesting a couple of chaplains he
would like to have if available, the General concluded,
"If a more senior chaplain is not readily available,
Chaplain Seymour is entirely acceptable as Wing
Chaplain." A postscript, handwritten, extended an
invitation to the Chief of Chaplains to come to Korea
himself for a tour of inspection.
Chaplain Salisbury's reply, after explaining the sit-
uation described just above, noted that Chaplain Par-
ker's orders had been reinstated, and added, "I only
wish that I could get out to see you but there are cer-
tain pressures here which require my presence for
sometime to come." Parker reported on 18 April
1952 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing once again
had a Wing Chaplain.
Divine Services
Most chaplains would regard their religious ministry
as encompassing more than services of divine worship,
but nothing they do, they would say, is more funda-
mentally important. The following statistics, included
in the quarterly report ending 31 March 1952 sub-
mitted by Force Chaplain Martell H. Twitchell, cov-
ering all activities of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific,
indicate the zeal of "clergymen in uniform" in provid-
ing a ministry of worship. During March 14 chap-
lains reported conducting from 32 to 96 separate
services each. The five who conducted the greatest
number were the following :
Serv-
ices
Attend-
ance
Com-
muni'
cants
J. H. Sullivan
MAG 33
96
2, 163
1, 132
H. A. Seymour.
R. C. Fenning
E. R. Weidler.
1st MAW. . .
5th Marines
MAG 12
53
45
43
1,663
984
1,570
360
136
190
Geo. Felder, Jr
7th Marines .
40
647
364
129
Relief Work
Chaplain Weidler wrote that during January and
February 1952 numerous North Korean children
were airlifted from advance airstrips to the Kangnung
field, in need of food, clothing, and a place to live.
The local orphanages are the first places the youngsters
receive assistance on their way south. This section of Korea
has been overrun four times by war in less than a year.
The buildings where the children were placed required a
lot of repair work. Our men have donated many hours of
labor and have written home describing the plight of the
children.
From our Protestant chapel offering we have spent $585
for clothing to meet the immediate needs of the youngsters.
We have been joined by the Marines at El Toro. . . . We are
receiving on the average of 10 large boxes of clothing each
day from people at home, in response to the letters written
by the men out here.
There are 3 UNCACK [UN Civil Assistance Commission,
Korea] and 1 Catholic orphanage with a total of over 250
children depending on us for fuel, clothing, and food. The
chaplains serve as liaison between the Air Group and the
UNCACK and civil relief personnel in making assistance
available where most needed.
Commander William Lederer of CINCPAC spent a week
with us, obtaining material for a story on our Air Group
and its work with these children. You should be able to
read his own account of our work here in Korea, in an
early issue of "This Week," if his plans materialize.
According to Chaplain Twitchell's report, cited
just above, Weidler had reported that Marines of
Marine Aircraft Group 12 had provided clothing for
350 children in the 4 Kangnung orphanages and that
$1,200 from the Chapel fund had been donated to
them during March.
MAW Chaplains Cited
Chaplain Richard D. Cleaves was awarded the
Bronze Star for his service with Marine Aircraft
Group 33 from 23 May 1951 to 1 February 1952.
Constantly concerned with the welfare of the men of the
group, he frequently spent long hours in helping to seek a
solution for individual tribulations. Always ready to assist
in the struggle to aid an impoverished country, he guided
and directed the Marines in founding and maintaining
orphanages in the vicinity of the airfield where he was
serving and elected to remain at his post rather than avail
himself of the rest and recreation facilities in Japan.
Two of the Air Wing chaplains received the Letter
of Commendation award for outstanding performance
of their duties during periods ending before the termi-
nal date of the 7th Korean Campaign. For meri-
torious service as Acting Wing Chaplain from 27
November 1951 to 7 April 1952 Chaplain Seymour
was cited for his "thorough understanding of the
various complexities confronting the fighting man."
His work in aiding civilian refugees was singled out
for comment.
Sparing no efforts in assisting the United Nations struggle
to help an impoverished country, he supervised the generous
efforts of Marine personnel in their desire to establish and
maintain orphanages in the vicinity of Pohang Airfield.
Chaplain James A. Sullivan was commended for
service with Marine Aircraft Group 33 from 30 June
1951 to 10 April 1952. "His concern for the spiritual,
mental, and physical welfare of the men prompted
him to assist them in their difficulties and troubles at
any hour." His citation continues :
Not confining his Christian work to his unit alone, Lieu-
tenant Commander Sullivan assisted the United Nations
efforts to help an impoverished country by aiding in the
rehabilitation and maintenance of churches and orphanages
in the vicinity of the airfield where he was serving.
COMNAVFE Chaplains Cited
As the first chaplain to serve on the staff of Com-
mander U.S. Naval Forces, Far East, Walter A.
Mahler had successfully and with constant good
humor planned and supervised the many activities
necessary to meet the greatly increased scope of re-
quirements for the chaplains' ministry throughout
the command. In addition he carried duties as
Headquarters chaplain. He was given the Letter of
Commendation award covering service from 20 No-
vember 1950 to 11 January 1952. Part of his
citation reads as follows :
His ability to achieve and maintain the proper and delicate
balance between the religious and naval aspects of personnel
relations and problems was outstanding. His integrity and
his staunch, unswerving faith and piety set an inspiring
example for all who knew him.
Chaplain James E. Reaves, Senior Chaplain, Fleet
Activities, Yokosuka, also received the Letter of Com-
mendation with ribbon for faithfulness to duty during
the period 25 June 1950 to 15 November 1951.
Chaplain Mahler was relieved by Daniel F. Mee-
han. Other changes in the command since the roster
given in chapter 5 were as follows. Chaplains E. D.
Bennett, J. J. O'Neill, J. E. Reaves, and E. M. Turner
had been relieved. Raymond A. Beaulieu had been
assigned to Naval Air Station, Atsugi. Gerard J.
Clark had reported to Naval Hospital to relieve C. W.
Lawler, awaiting orders. Benoit R. Galland had re-
ported to Fleet Activities, Yokosuka. Charles J.
Horejs was ordered to the repair ship HECTOR and
Bob G. Rochelle to the DELTA. Edward G. Swain
was assigned to Camp Otsu, which functioned largely
as a Marine casual company. In addition, A. J.
Wolf, as noted earlier, had been assigned as Jewish
130 —
chaplain for COMNAVFE, attached to Fleet
Activities, Yokosuka.
Atsugi Chapel
On the air station, which the Navy had taken over
from the Air Force in 1951, stood a large building,
formerly a Japanese gymnasium and then used by the
Air Force partly for storage, partly for religious pur-
poses. During World War II Japanese pilots had used
it for practicing Kendo, an ancient game of tilting
involving the use of heavy staves. Included in the
building were a banquet hall and a small Shinto
shrine. Before Kamikaze pilots would leave on a
mission, they were feasted and decorated and then
participated in a Shinto ritual before the shrine.
Chaplain C. L. Sullenberger, when assigned to the
Naval Air Station, had been instrumental in securing
the use of the entire building for religious purposes.
In the years following, during the tours of Chaplains
Orlando Ingvoldstad and D. M. Humphrey, this Jap-
anese building would become the nucleus of a well-
planned, expanded religious center for American
personnel.
PhibPac
In the Amphibious Force, Pacific, Chaplain Earl R.
Brewster had replaced W. J. Kuhn as Force Chaplain.
A roster dated March 1952 shows that Alvin O. Col-
lins had reported to the staff of Transport Division
15. Chaplains E. A. Day, W. J. Kokoszka, and F. A.
Ruder were now listed on the staffs of TransDiv 14,
TransDiv 12, and TransDiv 13, respectively, rather
than as attached to individual ships as formerly.
Chaplain Jacob R. Thomas was ordered to relieve R.
T. Noland at Naval Beach Group ONE, after nearly
a year of duty with ComServPac as the Fleet's free-
wheeling circuit rider.
The amphibious command ship ELDORADO had
returned stateside in September 1951, her place taken
by the ESTES, whose chaplain was William R. Petre.
MT. McKINLEY, which had been relieved in June
1951, returned to Korean service in March 1952 as
flagship of Rear Adm. F. X. Mclnerney, Commander
Navy Amphibious Forces in the Far East. Her chap-
lain was Thomas M. Gibson.
MSTS
Chaplain George W. Thompson, Staff Chaplain,
Military Sea Transportation Service, Pacific Area,
submitted on 15 April 1952 the following list of chap-
lains serving in MSTS ships.
Bol, Peter
REF
GEN G. M. RANDALL
Bruns, Bruno
REF
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Childress, Elmer H, Jr. .
BAP (S)
GEN. N. M. WALKER
Dohrmann, Leonard B . . . .
EVAN & REF
GEN. J. C. BRECKENRIDGE
Erickson, Paul F
EVAN MISS CONV
GEN. E. D. PATRICK
Handran, Ralph E
RC
GEN. A. E. ANDERSON
Hemphill, Edward J., Jr
METH
GEN. H. W. BUTNER
Holmes, Norman B
CHRI SCIENCE
GEN. WM. WEIGEL
Irwin, Paul I
METH
GEN. JOHN J. POPE
Karnasiewicz, Charles F . .
RC
. GEN. WM. BLACK
Kennedy, Deane W
METH
GEN. W. A. MANN
McCarthy, Eugene W . . .
RC
WINDHAM BAY
Moran, John L., Jr
BAP(S)...
GEN. E. T. COLLINS
LUTH
CAPE ESPERANCE
Nolan, William F
RC.
GEN. A. W. BREWSTER
Potter, Paul K
METH
GEN. W. H. GORDON
Robinson, Charles B
PRESBY (USA)
SITKOH BAY
Singer, Wilson H
METH
. : . . GEN. M. C. MEIGS
UNIT
DAVID C. SHANKS
Sydnor, Charles E
BAP (A)
GEN. WM. MITCHELL
Terhune, Cornelius A . . . .
PRESBY (USA) ...
GEN. D. I. SULTAN
Tullev, Edward M
RC.
GEN. W. F. HASE
Wartes, Arthur J
PRESBY (USA)
PRESIDENT JACKSON
Watts, John E., Ir
PRESBY (US).
FRED C. AINSWORTH
Wheeler, Wendell C
CONG
GEN. C. G. MORTON
Chaplains Thomas P. Dunleavy and George J.
Enyedi had been recently detached. Five ships had
at the time no chaplain. The WINDHAM BAY,
CAPE ESPERANCE, and SITKOH BAY were
escort carriers used to ferry planes and personnel to
the war theater. Aboard SITKOH BAY Chaplain
535332 O — 60
131
Robinson held services in the hangar deck or forward
elevator when troops were embarked and in the ready
room or compartment formerly housing catapult
machinery when traveling without troops.
Chaplain Handran found an "amazing response to
daily services on transports." In addition to daily
Mass, he arranged a service for Protestants composed
of Bible reading, prayers, and hymns, "usually con-
ducted by a lay leader." All were well attended,
though, he added, "It may be they had no place else
to go." Chaplain Holmes reported a daily weekday
attendance at Protestant services between 250 and 300
men. "On a single voyage into Korean waters, as
many at 600 copies of the complete Bible would be
distributed to men requesting it."
Chaplain Sydnor reported that in addition to their
contribution to the March of Dimes, sailors in the
GENERAL WILLIAM MITCHELL pledged $900
to help a young lady, Miss Bunting, in California at-
tend commercial art school. Miss Bunting who was
stricken 5 years before with polio was a guest of the
ship in port, and was presented to the captain and
taken for a tour of the vessel.
MSTS chaplains, under the leadership of Staff
Chaplain Thompson, cooperated with the annual
American Red Cross campaign. The first ship mak-
ing its contribution in 1952 was the GENERAL E. D.
PATRICK, where Paul F. Erickson was chaplain.
Chaplain Thompson reported to the Chaplains Divi-
sion that in 1951 MSTS ships in the Pacific area had
contributed $47,67 1 to various charities.
Panmunjom Talks
Meanwhile, during the entire 5 months of the 7th
Korean Campaign, full-scale talks had continued at
Panmunjom. Resumed on 25 October 1951, a month
had been consumed in debate over the position of a
buffer zone and the related question whether the
cease-fire should be put into operation immediately
after agreement on that, or only after agreement had
been reached on all other items of the agenda. The
United Nations delegations insisted on the latter
course lest a premature truce allow a Communist
buildup while the talks continued.
Finally on 27 November (the date later designated
as the end of the 6th Korean Campaign) agreement
was reached on the establishment of the demilitarized
zone: each side should withdraw 2 kilometers from
the present point of contact if an armistice should be
signed within 30 days, or from whatever lines should
be held at the time an armistice should be agreed
upon. The 27 November line started along the
Sachon River on the west and ran north and east
through the Iron Triangle, thence to a point about as
far north as the apex of the Triangle; from there the
line dipped southward, though still above the Punch-
bowl, and afterwards turned north and ran out to the
sea at Kosong. The United Nations thus held posi-
tions north of the Parallel everywhere except in the
extreme west, where the truce line dipped slightly
below it.
On 30 November the delegates began discussion
of the composition and functions of a Supervisory
Commission and matters pertaining to military stance
after an armistice should be reached : troop rotations,
replacement of equipment, and rehabilitation of air-
fields. With no agreement having been reached on
these matters, on 1 1 December the negotiators began
concurrent discussions of the prisoner of war issue.
On the 18th POW lists were exchanged. UN pro-
posals for Red Cross teams to investigate POW camps
were spurned by the Communists. Talk ranged over
such questions as whether the prisoners should be
exchanged "one for one" or "all for all." It was
agreed to screen the prisoners in order to separate
bonafide civilians from combatants. The most serious
stumbling-block concerned the disposition of prisoners
who did not want to be repatriated.
In April 1952 the UN Command began a screen-
ing of the North Korean and Chinese prisoners it
held to determine their wishes; of the approximately
121,000 in UN camps, approximately 38,000 indi-
cated their desire not to return.9 On 28 April the
UN delegation offered the Communists a "package
deal" on the three main disputed issues: They would
not be party to forcible repatriation; they would
concede the buildup of damaged airfields; and they
would accept Poland and Czechoslovakia as members
of a Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, but not
Russia, and asked the Communists to accept Sweden
and Switzerland. Thus far had the talks come when
the period here under review came to an end.
Change of Scene
The 7th Korean Campaign drew to a close with
the end of April 1952. The battleground had be-
come a narrow band across the peninsula, bounded
by the main defensive lines of the UN forces on the
south and of the Communist forces on the north.
Both opposing armies were capable of offensive opera-
tions but remained for the most part in static defense
War.'
' Britannic a Book of the Year, 1953, article, "Korean
132 —
positions.10 Actual fighting occurred more often than
not between combat outposts and opposing probing
patrols.
In the east the lines lay well north of the 38th
Parallel, slanting up and down steep hills divided by
valleys wide enough only for a little stream or some-
times a narrow, twisting road connecting one tiny
inhabited area with the next, usually a considerable
distance away. This area, which would always be
associated in their minds with the craterlike Punch-
bowl, Marines of the 1st Division had now left behind,
doubtless without regret. After 600 trucks had shut-
tled back and forth transferring some 6,000 loads of
gear a distance of 180 miles, the Division dug in as
the western anchor of the 8th Army front.11 Now
under operational control of I Army Corps, its mission
was to block the way to Seoul should the Communists
attempt a new invasion of the South. Both the Di-
vision and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing were now in
new locations, their individual units often widely
scattered. From the latter part of March 1952 the
scene of the operations with which our account is
chiefly concerned shifted to the western side of the
Korean peninsula. Division Chaplain Slattery wrote
to the Chief of Chaplains on 21 April: "Spring is
upon us, thanks be to God the Commies are not.
Blossoms are on the hillsides. Dust is thick on our
hides but our hearts are high."
10 R. A. Gugelcr (ed.), Combat Operations in Korea
(Washington, 1954), pp. 243f. Miller, op. cit., p. 210.
" Lynn Montross, Cavalry of the Sky, p. 180.
133 —
CHAPTER 8
KOREAN DEFENSE— SUMMER-FALL 1952
1 May-30 November 1952
With the truce talks still continuing there were few
major engagements during the summer and fall of
1952.1 The lines were relatively stable, the United
Nations troops often facing the enemy across no more
than 50 yards, though sometimes separated from them
by as much as 10 miles. The importance of hills and
mountains for observation purposes made the battles
for peaks particularly tense, especially when such an
elevation protruded forward of one's own sector into
the enemy's lines. Then there ensued stubborn fight-
ing and peaks would change hands several times in
seesaw actions. In such engagements artillery and
close air support were often of decisive importance.
Wherever the opposing units remained dug-in and
contact limited, there was less need for air support.
Navy and Marine fighters then concentrated on sup-
porting Air Force missions aimed at the destruction
of railroads and highways, rolling stock and trucks,
marshalling yards, and supply depots. The B-29's
were systematically engaged in neutralizing Commu-
nist airfields in the North.
The enemy had at no time during the Korean War
posed a serious threat at sea. United Nations naval
forces were engaged largely in siege and interdiction
operations. Wonsan, on the east coast, which had
fallen to the enemy with the withdrawal of UN forces
from north of the 38th Parallel in December 1950,
was denied access to the sea by continuous siege. By
the end of October 1952 4 battleships, 8 cruisers, 16
aircraft carriers and approximately 80 destroyers had
been at one time or other deployed in Korean waters.2
Of the carriers 1 3 were United States vessels, 2 British
and 1 Australian.
Perhaps the most spectacular event of early summer
was the rioting of Communist prisoners-of-war on the
island of Koje-do, off the southern coast.3 A hard
1 Britannica Book of the Year, 1953; article, "Korean
War."
' Ibid.
2 Ibid.
core of Communists had kept the compound there in
turmoil for months, fomenting serious riots in Febru-
ary and March. Finally, on 7 May, the prisoners
succeeded in seizing control of the camp and held
Brig. Gen. F. T. Dodd, UN commander, hostage un-
til his deputy signed a statement which practically
conceded charges of maladministration which the
Communist negotiators at Panmunjom had been urg-
ing against the United Nations Command. On 12
May Gen. Mark W. Clark succeeded General Ridg-
way as commander-in-chief of United Nations forces
in Korea and promptly repudiated the so-called "con-
fessions," making clear to the world that it had been
secured by violence and repeating the proposal already
frequently made at Panmunjom to open the POW
camps of both sides to international inspection.
May Day
May first is of course a "holy day" for international
Communism and UN forces were on the alert as the
day approached. On 29 April Bishop Harry S. Ken-
nedy, Episcopal bishop of Honolulu with responsibil-
ity as that church's Military Ordinary for the Pacific
and Far Eastern area, arrived at the Division Com-
mand post at the invitation of Lt. Gen. Franklin
A. Hart, FMF Pac Commanding General. Division
Chaplain Slattery had written on 21 April to Chief
of Chaplains S. W. Salisbury:
Chaplain Boyer plans a Division Episcopal service at 1830
on 30 April and I have written a memorandum to the Chief
of Staff requesting that unit commanders be authorized to
release the officers and men who may wish to attend the
service. It will depend, of course, on the tactical situation
and with 1 May looming up I am under the impression that
the Commanding General will hesitate to issue such
authorization.
Although his arrival was unexpectedly a day early,
and both the Bishop and his military escort were ill
from food poisoning (they had first visited an Army
134-
Visitor.
The Episcopal Bishop of Honolulu, the Right Reverend Harry S. Kennedy (right) speaks to men after his service at the
1st Division. He is greeted by the Senior Chaplain of Her Majesty's Forces, Wynn Rhys. At left is Chaplain Alex-
ander W. Boyer of the Motor Transport Battalion. Bishop Kennedy was Episcopal Representative for the Armed
Forces in the Far East.
installation, Slattery reported gleefully!), neverthe-
less a dispatch to the lines brought a few representa-
tives from each unit and a service was held on the
evening of the 29th, with General Hart and Maj. Gen.
John A. Selden, 1st Marine Division commander,
present. Accompanying the Bishop was Episcopal
chaplain A. W. Boyer of the Division and on hand to
greet him was the Reverend Wynn Rhys, senior chap-
lain of the British Commonwealth Division.
On 5 May Slattery wrote :
Due to Fenning's orders we had to detach him on 30
April; no relief being in sight Chaplain Brooks volunteered
to plug the gap at Chaplain Fenning's battalion. That was
on 30 April and 1 May. Needless to say, he slept little
and then fitfully, due to a certain amount of "incoming"
plus a volume (for the occasion of May Day) of "outgoing."
On 17 May the chapel which had been erected at
the Division Command Post following the Division's
move to the western front was dedicated. General
Selden gave the address, and Chaplains Slattery (Ro-
Chapel — 1st Marine Division.
The new 1st Marine Division Chapel leaves its doors open to
members of all faiths.
— 135
Chaplairts at Dedication.
The 1st Marine Division's Command Post Chapel was formally dedicated on Armed Forces Day. In attendance were
24 of the Division's 28 chaplains. They are shown here in front of the new chapel. First row, from left are: E. S.
Jones; R. H. Willets; B. N. Wolfe; E. A. Wolfram; J. T. Callahan; A. W. Boyer. Seated: O. Weber; A. D. Prickett;
E. A. Slattery, Division Chaplain; Maj. Gen. J. T. Selden; A. M. Oliver; W. P. Lane; W. D. McCabe. Standing:
N. A. McDowell; H. C. Duncan; V. J. Lustig; C. W. Herrick; C. T. Duggan; A. F. Mendosa; A. W. Robertson; M. E.
Torstrick; R. Siegel; R. F. Barlik ; B. J. Nowakowski. Missing from the picture are H. C. Bowling; C. H. Elliot; L. A.
Guillaume; and J. H. Muller.
Dedication.
Maj. Gen. John T. Selden, Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division, delivers the dedicatory address at the opening
of the Division Command Post Chapel on Armed Forces Day. Seated from left to right are Chaplains Reubin Siegel,
Edward A. Slattery and (obscured by the rostrum) Algernon M. Oliver.
-136-
man Catholic), Siegel (Jewish), and Oliver (Protes-
tant) took part. Twenty-five of the chaplains as-
signed to the Division were present.
Regarding the military picture Slattery wrote:
Action remains sporadic. Chaplain Robertson who is
with Tanks had a narrow squeak recently. He was with one
of his companies when a considerable amount of "incom-
ing" arrived. His jeep was damaged but, thanks be to
God, Chaplain Robertson was not in it at the time.
I worry about these lads so much and keep urging them
to be extremely cautious. They are prudent but even that
is not a safeguard against the dangers which surround them.
Chaplains Duncan and Mendonsa displayed courage and
their spirit of dedication a week ago in remaining at a for-
ward aid station through a mortar barrage.
Rotation of Chaplains
On 19 May Slattery submitted a periodic roster to
the Chaplains Division. He noted :
We now have 17 Protestant chaplains, 9 Catholic and 1
Jewish chaplain. With Torstrick detached we will be one
Protestant under the minimum need. I understand that
Chaplain Pat Adams is due here, which will bring the number
of Catholics up to 10. Do you intend it to be so or have you
plans to detach one of the Catholics sooner than expected?
Naturally we can use everyone you send and more, but I
do not want to be "piggish" about it.
ROSTER OF CHAPLAINS, 19 MAY 1952
Name
SLATTERY, E. A CDR
H. C, JR LT. .
Rank
Assignment Church affiliation
Div Chaplain RC
BOWLING, H. C, JR. . . LT.. 1st Cmb Ser Group METH
OLIVER, A. M.i LCDR Headquarters Bn METH
PRICKETT, A.D LCDR Headquarters Bn BAP (S)
LUSTIG, V. J LCDR 1st Medical Bn RC
WEBER, O LT 1st Medical Bn LUTH
MULLER, J. H LTJG 1st Shore Party Bn REF
WOLFRAM, E. A., JR LT 1st Engineer Bn LUTH (MoSy)
B.J
NOWAKOWSKI
SIEGEL, R
BARLIK, R. F
ROBERTSON, A. W
BOYER, A. W
WOLFE, B. N.>
JONES, E. S
LT 1 st Amphibian Trac Bn RC
LTJG
LTJG.
LTJG.
LTJG.
LTJG.
LTJG.
FIRST MARINES
MCCABE, W. D.2..
CALLAHAN, J. T. . . .
TORSTRICK, M. E.».
LCDR.
LT . . .
LTJG
Headquarters Bn JEWISH
1st Medical Bn RC
1st Tank Bn BAP (S)
1st Motor Tr Bn PE
1st Service Bn BAP (S)
1st Armored Amp Bn METH
2d Battalion PRESBY (USA)
3d Battalion RC
1st Battalion BAP (S)
FIFTH MARINES
MENDONSA, A. F.' LT 2d Battalion RC
ELLIOTT, C. H., JR LT 3d Battalion PE
DUNCAN, H. C.i LTJG 1st Battalion METH
SEVENTH MARINES
WILLETS, R. H.2 LT 1st Battalion BAP (S)
HERRICK, C. W LT 2d Battalion PRESBY (USA)
GUILLAUME, L. A LTJG 3d Battalion RC
ELEVENTH MARINES
LANE, W. P.2 LCDR Headquarters RC
FORNEY, F. J.' LT 1st Battalion DISC
MC DOWELL, N. L LT 4th Battalion BAP (S)
DUGGAN, C. T LTJG 3d Battalion RC
1 Indicates chaplains ordered detached.
J Indicates regimental chaplain.
Of the 27 chaplains shown on Division Chaplain
Peck's roster of 1 January 1952, only Chaplains Dun-
can, Torstrick, Oliver, Siegel, Wolfe, and Forney re-
mained. Since that date 22 new chaplains had
arrived, making a total of 28 on the 19 May roster.
Chaplains Prickett and Duggan had reported just
prior to this roster, thus making possible within a few
days the detachment of two of the five designated as
awaiting detachment.
According to rotation policy then in effect, a chap-
— 137 —
V.
Outdoor Worship.
Chaplain A. W. Robertson mounts his portable altar on a T46 tank at a forward outpost in Korea and conducts services.
lain serving with the Division was ordered detached
after 6 or 7 months; the actual date of detachment,
within the terms of the Bureau of Naval Personnel
orders sent to Division Headquarters, was left to the
discretion of the Division Chaplain. Normally de-
tachment was effected in order of priority of report-
ing, though the overriding consideration always was
the most economical distribution of chaplains through-
out the Division's units. Siegel, of course, had to
await the arrival of a Jewish relief, being the only
chaplain of that faith in the Division. Chaplains E.
A. Wolfram, Jr., and Ward D. McCabe completed the
list (including the six above) of eight chaplains who
had reported before 31 January, who could expect
rotation in accordance with the earlier policy. Chap-
lains reporting on or after 1 February would be ex-
pected to serve 10 months in Korea.
Chaplain Distribution
The administrative processing of chaplains attached
to the 1st Marine Division was a G-l (Division Per-
sonnel) function, acting for the Chief of Staff and
with the advice of the Division Chaplain. The chap-
lains had no direct command link with the Division
Chaplain; once assigned they were under the mili-
tary jurisdiction of their respective commanding of-
ficers. The Division Chaplain served, however, as an
effective liaison between the various unit chaplains
and the Division subordinate commands.
Chaplains were reassigned within the Division from
time to time, so much so during certain periods that
trying to follow them resembles unscrambling a maze.
There is clearly much in favor of keeping a chaplain
with the same unit for an extended period, and in
peacetime, at least, as long as both unit commander
and chaplain are satisfied, "long pastorates" are more
likely the rule. Under field conditions, however,
itinerancy provided the only adequate and economical
distribution of the services of a limited number of
chaplain personnel (frontier churches had of course
had the same experience in the early days of the west-
ward expansion of our country) .
It was the function of the Division Chaplain to see
that the available chaplains were so assigned that
their ministry might be utilized to the benefit of the
largest number of personnel. According to the Divi-
sion T/O the Division Chaplain and all others not
assigned to regimental organizations were carried by
138
Headquarters Battalion, to form a "pool" upon which
the Division Chaplain could draw for assignments to
the separate battalions. The first roster given in this
account, that of Division Chaplain Schwyhart on the
eve of the Inchon landing, indicated such a distribu-
tion.4 Under field conditions, however, it usually
proved more satisfactory to attach a chaplain directly
to the Headquarters Company of the separate bat-
talions. In most rosters such distribution will be seen.
Each regiment was entitled to three chaplains,
normally all attached to the regimental headquarters,
the senior being regimental chaplain and a member of
the regimental staff. He was responsible for the place-
ment of himself and the other two chaplains within
the regiment. An infantry regiment had, besides its
Headquarters and Service Company and 4.2 Mortar
Company, three infantry battalions. Under combat
conditions it was customary for one chaplain to be with
each battalion, the regimental chaplain also main-
taining contact with the regimental CP and providing
a ministry there. Usually the Headquarters would
be located near enough one or other of the battalions
to make this feasible. Since there were normally two
Protestants and one Roman Catholic per regiment, a
certain amount of rotation within the regiment was
usually thought necessary for religious coverage. In
addition exigencies arising under field conditions dic-
tated rather frequent shifts, so that a chaplain would
be found now in the first battalion, later in the third
or again in the second.
Regimental chaplains were not always in agreement
with one another on the best policy regarding this
point; some of the differences stemmed from the na-
ture of the varied operational assignments. One
would keep himself in Regiment and assume respon-
sibility for one of the battalions, and then assign,
semiofficially and temporarily, one chaplain to each
of the other two battalions. Another regimental
chaplain, feeling that all three chaplains should be
sensitive of their responsibility to the entire regiment,
would keep himself and both the others attached to
Regiment, but working in more or less orderly rota-
tion throughout the subordinate units. While the Di-
vision chaplain would be advised on these shifts, the
actual placement of chaplains within a regiment, once
assigned there, was the prerogative of the regimental
commander with the regimental chaplain as his
adviser.
As a member of the Commanding General's staff
the Division chaplain found many of his duties to be
* See ch. 1.
administrative, though he furnished a ministry repre-
senting his particular faith at the Division CP and
Headquarters Battalion. Also at Headquarters would
be a chaplain of the Christian faith different from
that of the senior chaplain; for instance, through most
of the period here under review, Chaplain A. D.
Prickett, Southern Baptist, worked with Chaplain
Slattery. In addition, the single Jewish chaplain was
always assigned to Headquarters Battalion, though his
duties carried him through the entire Division and on
occasion he would be given temporary additional duty
orders to one or other of the separate battalions.
Sometimes this was necessary to provide a chaplain
in a given battalion ; besides, it gave the chaplain an
opportunity to gain experience as chaplain in an inde-
pendent unit. One or both of these chaplains were
sometimes referred to as assistant division chaplain.
In filling the regimental chaplain billet seniority
naturally was an important factor. Usually a lieu-
tenant commander was assigned, though on many
occasions a lieutenant filled the billet. For instance,
on Slattery's 19 May roster only the 1st and 11th Ma-
rines had a lieutenant commander (McCabe and
Lane), while the 5th and 7th Marines each had a
lieutenant (Mendonsa and Willets). As far as pos-
sible these billets were rotated among Protestants and
Roman Catholics. All other factors having been
weighed, it sometimes happened that all three regi-
mental chaplains would be of the same faith ; but with
new arrivals shifts would be made to bring that aspect
of the distribution picture into normal alinemrnt.
Other reassignments were made, as chaplains at-
tached to separate battalions became senior to more
recent arrivals and were shifted to regimental chap-
lain billets and relieved in the separate battalions by
their less experienced colleagues. Sometimes chap-
lains were shifted from separate battalions to regi-
mental billets, because of their own request for
infantry duty, or because they seemed to the Division
chaplain especially suited for such duty or because
denominational and rank requirements dictated such
changes. Chaplains serving with regiments would
sometimes be reassigned to rear-area battalions; on
occasion it was felt a chaplain had had all the front-
line duty he could take for a while, or again he would
have displayed particular abilities that recommended
him to the Division chaplain as the right man for a
particular assignment. One such situation can be in-
ferred from the following paragraph in Chaplain
Slattery's letter of 5 May to the Chief of Chaplains.
Chaplain Stamper took over in Combat Service Group
when conditions there were, to say the least, unsavory. The
139 —
officers were rather, shall we say, flamboyant in their conduct
and attitude. Others followed suit. Bob Stamper who has
been one of the top men here handled the situation with
firm diplomacy and he reports that things are in hand now.
He urged me to fill the billet with a "field grade" [in Marine
terms, a major; hence, lieutenant commander] chaplain.
Another illustration may be seen in the exchange
of Chaplain T. A. Newman, Service Battalion, with
Chaplain C. W. Herrick, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines,
and Prickett of Headquarters Battalion with Willets,
regimental chaplain, 7th Marines. Concerning these
shifts Slattery wrote on 15 September: "The moves
were made in order to give Chaplains Willets and
Herrick a rest from the pressure they have been under
in 'enemy engaged' units. Both are pleased to move
to rear units and Chaplains Newman and Prickett are
the 'gung-ho' guys who wanted to get a taste of the
fighting front." He added: "I intend shortly to make
a similar switch of Adams [7th Motor Transport] and
Callahan [3d Battalion, 1st Marines]."
Concerning a plan for more stable assignments
which he was trying to effect, Slattery wrote on 9 June,
after a meeting of the chaplains, "All agree that the
present plan to keep each chaplain with his originally
assigned battalion is the one most beneficial to the
men and the individual chaplain."
Apparently Slattery and his regimental chaplains
were assigning chaplains within a regiment at bat-
talion level. For instance, the 19 May roster showed
W. D. McCabe as regimental chaplain, 1st Marines,
with duty in the 2d Battalion; J. T. Callahan was as-
signed to the 3d Battalion and M. E. Torstrick to the
first. The 1 September roster showed K. D. Killin
(ordered but not yet reported) as McCabe's relief,
both as regimental chaplain and in the 2d Battalion.
Callahan was still in the 3d Battalion. Oscar Weber,
who had been in the Medical Battalion on the May
roster, was now in the 1st Battalion. But the latter
assignment had not been uncomplicated. E. S. Jones
had relieved Torstrick when his time was up, coming
from the Armored Amphibian Battalion. Jones was
accidentally injured and sent to the HAVEN in Pusan.
Weber had then been drawn from the Medical
Battalion to replace Jones.
A comparison of the 19 May and 1 September
rosters in the case of the 5th Marines shows A. F.
Mendonsa as regimental chaplain, with duty in the
2d Battalion, on both dates; Calvin H. Elliott in the
3d Battalion on both dates; and H. C. Duncan, who
had returned stateside, relieved in the 1st Battalion
by Chaplain J. C. Brown, who had reported to the
Division on 30 May after duty with the Air Wing's
unit at Itami since 20 March.
In the 7th Marines the slate was unchanged: R. H.
Willets was regimental chaplain, with duty in the 1st
Battalion, on both rosters; C. W. Herrick, 2d Bat-
talion, and L. A. Guillaume, 3d Battalion.
In the 11th Marines, with a normal complement
of four battalions, W. P. Lane appears on both rosters
as regimental chaplain carried at Headquarters, F. J.
Forney, detached, had been relieved in the 1st Bat-
talion by H. C. Bowling, who had previously been
in Combat Service Group. N. L. McDowell contin-
ued in the 4th Battalion and C. T. Duggan in the
3d. Whether Lane covered the 2d battalion
does not appear from Slattery's rosters. In any case
the 11th Regiment was well served, with four aboard
on a T/O calling for three.
When Forney had been due to be relieved the new-
est replacement was M. J. Strumski, a Roman Catho-
lic without previous Marine duty. Lane and Duggan
were also Catholic. So Bowling was brought up from
Combat Service Group to the 1 1th Marines.
Otherwise [as Slattery wrote to the Chief] the 1 1th Marines
would be without adequate Protestant coverage. There are
four battalions, the 11th CP and three batteries of reinforce-
ments from the Army scattered over many miles of front.
I made an analysis of the possibility of coverage for Prot-
estant services from one of the other units but find it is
beyond the capabilities of the chaplains, due to heavy
schedules of their own and the tactical location of the
artillery.
After a short period of indoctrination at Headquar-
ters Battalion Strumski was assigned to Combat Serv-
ice Group, a rear unit not likely to be involved in
combat. As things turned out, it was a happy move.
On 29 July Slattery wrote :
The arrival of Chaplain Strumski was fortunate as Combat
Service, which had depended on an Air Force chaplain for
Catholic services, was suddenly bereft of his services due to
a move by the Air Force. By coincidence the Army ordered
a Protestant chaplain to a camp just 100 yards away from
our Combat Service Group. So I was able to parlay the
moves to our advantage.
At Division Headquarters a comparison of the May
and September rosters shows the same slate, except
that Siegel had been relieved on 10 July by Chaplain
Samuel Sobel. (But as we have seen, within 2 weeks
of the latter roster, Prickett and Willets would be
exchanged.) In some of the separate battalions, the
picture was unchanged: A. W. Boyer was still with
Motor Transport, R. F. Barlik with the Medical Bat-
talion, B. J. Nowakowski with the AmTracs, A. W.
Robertson with Tanks, and J. H. Muller with Shore
Party.
140 —
But there had also been changes. V. J. W. Lustig
had been assigned to the Armored Amphibian Bat-
talion when Jones had replaced Torstrick at 1st Bat-
talion, 1st Marines. Weber had replaced Jones there
when the latter was injured. Both Lustig and Weber
had been drawn from the Medical Battalion; one
would infer the need for chaplains there was not
pressing at the time. Upon Jones' return to duty he
was assigned there, giving the Medical Battalion once
more its normal complement, one Protestant and one
Roman Catholic.
E. A. Wolfram had been detached and replaced by
G. E. Kuhn (ordered but not yet reported) in the
Engineers. Wolfe had likewise been transfered state-
side and replaced in the Service Battalion by T. A.
Newman, who reported on 5 July. Bowling had been
replaced at Combat Service by Strumski. The Ord-
nance Battalion, which had no chaplain at the time
of the May roster, was now to be covered by R. C.
McMillan, ordered but not yet reported. The Signal
Battalion had no chaplain attached at either date but
was covered for services; probably it would have been
near enough Headquarters Battalion to make that
feasible. Chaplain Patrick Adams, who reported
23 May, had been assigned to 7th Motor Transport,
a unit not formerly allowed a chaplain. The 1 Sep-
tember roster showed a total of 28 chaplains, includ-
ing the 3 ordered but not yet reported, with none at
that time awaiting detachment.
This somewhat cursory and perhaps confusing sur-
vey at least indicates the nature of the Division Chap-
lain's job in trying to make sure that the complement
of chaplains was distributed in such manner as to
provide the most adequate ministry to the most men
in any given set of circumstances. Not least of the
changing conditions was the mobility of the Division's
units, often necessitating this month a reshuffling of
what had only last month seemed a workable distribu-
tion. Despite Slattery's "new plan" of keeping chap-
lains with their originally assigned battalions, it could
be implemented only in part. The chaplain himself
wrote to Salisbury on 22 September:
I am sure that you agree we should not indiscriminately
assign a 'body" to a battalion, but should try to fit the man
to the type work involved. At least, we have tried to do so,
as some jobs here are more challenging than others and de-
mand more forceful chaplains.
A survey extended through 30 November, the end of
the 8th Korean Campaign, would doubtless show still
further reassignments; but all the "chess playing" was,
hopefully, in the interest of a more effective ministry.
Chaplains' Information Booklet
In May the Division Chaplain issued a mimeo-
graphed Chaplains' Information Booklet. Purely in-
formational and advisory, and in no sense an official
directive, it consolidated within one cover a good deal
of pertinent information based upon the Marine Corps
Manual, the Chaplains Manual, the FMF Pac Gen-
eral Order setting forth the SOP for chaplains serv-
ing with a Marine division and current Division
orders.
A section on casualty letters attempted once more
to clarify the procedures to be followed in writing
letters to the next of kin of deceased personnel. It is
quoted here in its entirety.
ENCLOSURE (2)
Chaplain's Casualty Letters to Next of Kin
Ref: (a) Chaplain's Manual, NavPers 15664, Sec. 5102.
(b) Par 4c(l), FMF Pac General Order 19.
(c) Par 3b (7), Annex K, IstMarDiv General Order
50.
1. In compliance with references (a), (b), and (c), a
chaplain's casualty letter will be sent to the next of kin of all
deceased personnel of the battalion to which the chaplain is
attached, regardless of status of death.
2. It is recommended that the following procedure be fol-
lowed in compiling necessary data, writing and submission
of the casualty letter:
a. Upon receipt of the casualty report, information
such as rank, name, service number, component, organiza-
tion, next of kin, and address of next of kin should be pro-
cured from personnel records as soon as possible. The re-
ligion of the individual should be ascertained by contacting
the administrative rear, or the administrative section of the
organization prior to the time the service records are mailed
to Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. This information
should be held pending receipt of the Casualty Amplifying
Report, which will be forthcoming in approximately two (2)
to three (3) weeks after the individual becomes a casualty.
b. Upon receipt of the Casualty Amplifying Report, the
information contained thereon, such as rank, name, service
number, etc., should be checked against the information you
have been holding. A check should then be made to deter-
mine that the designation and address of the next of kin you
have obtained from examination of records compares with
the addressee of the Company Commander's condolence let-
ter. This will insure that the same person will receive both
letters. All information should be checked thoroughly be-
fore a letter is written. It is suggested that no letter be
written until the amplifying report has been received, as
that report will contain information relative to the disposi-
tion of the remains and will therefore be conclusive. In the
event letters are received from the next of kin or relatives,
they should be acknowledged, with a statement that the sit-
uation (not death) is being investigated and that information
will be forthcoming as it becomes available.
c. After all data has been compiled and thoroughly
checked, a chaplain's casualty letter to the next of kin will
be drawn up, for the signature of the chaplain, along with
an envelope addressed to the next of kin. Chaplain's cas-
— 141
ualty letters will be transmitted through official channels to
the Commandant of the Marine Corps (Code DGU) for
forwarding to the next of kin. Copies of this correspondence
and of the casualty letter should be retained in the chap-
lain's files for reference and information. A copy should be
made for each via in the chain of command, and an extra
copy for the Commandant of the Marine Corps for inser-
tion in the jacket of the individual at Headquarters U.S.
Marine Corps.
Another section of the Information Booklet dealt
with publicity concerning chaplains' activities in Ko-
rea. It quoted excerpts from several letters received
from the Chief of Chaplains.
We are still concerned about receiving pictures and stories
on chaplains' activities with the Marines in Korea. There
are two fields which have not been publicized, but which we
feel contain excellent possibilities for public relations. First,
our Office and the Marine Corps Public Information Office
would like very much to publicize the work of the Marines
who are serving as chaplains' assistants.
Secondly, we are interested in securing the reactions of
men in combat to religion. Would you please request the
chaplains of the Division to secure some statements from
the men in their units, who felt that religion had helped
them when they were involved in fighting at the front. We
are especially interested in learning of men who have had
only a superficial relation with religion before. A great
deal has been said and written concerning the help and
strength of religion to men in combat. But we actually have
very little from the men themselves as to just how they were
helped and how much they feel this would affect their future
life when they return home.
We continue to receive requests for pictures of men in
combat engaged in religious activities. Recently we re-
ceived an excellent picture of a Marine saying the rosary.
It is this type of picture that we need for illustrations in
religious periodicals.
We have recently learned of several awards for Navy
chaplains who have served with Marines in Korea. We are
embarrassed when we send out publicity concerning their
awards because many times we would not have pictures of
them made with the Marines in Korea. Chaplain Craven
[now in the Chaplain's Division] would appreciate it if you
could speak to the Public Information Officer about getting
a picture of every chaplain serving with the Division while
he is engaged in conducting Divine Service, interviewing a
Marine, assisting with the wounded, or similar scenes of
chaplains' activities.
Other sections dealt with supplies, the semimonthly
report of chaplain activities required by a Division
memorandum and the monthly report required to be
submitted to the FMF Pac Chaplain for inclusion in
his quarterly report to the Chaplains Division.
Concerning assistance to the work of the Red Cross,
the booklet advised :
1. On occasion the American Red Cross field director will
request a chaplain to deliver a notification of death in the
family.
2. It is expected that such requests will be expedited and
that American Red Cross will be notified of "mission
accomplished."
3. When an American Red Cross field director requests a
chaplain to accompany him for notification, the chaplain
will do so for the purpose of giving spiritual comfort.
Because on "rare occasions" (as Slattery put it),
commanding officers had assigned chaplains collateral
duties which were a handicap to their basic work,
especially in the field, the chaplains were reminded
of paragraph 6, Annex K to Division General Order
No. 50, here quoted :
The primary work of the chaplain is spiritual and moral
leadership. He will therefore not be required to undertake
duties of any other nature that would absorb the major
portion of his time, and thus cause him to neglect his
chaplain duties.
The booklet included a list of the chaplains then
on duty in order of their reporting to the Division,
with the dates of reporting, and the probable or
anticipated date of detachment. Finally there was a
list of all the chaplains who had served or were cur-
rently serving in the 1st Marine Division in Korea,
compiled from such records as were available in the
Division Chaplain's Office.
"Marine Padres, Inc."
The chaplains were dependent on their units for
transportation and only rarely were actually assigned
a vehicle. Often the chaplain's personal relationship
with his unit CO or transportation officer had much
to do with the availability of "wheels." Early in June
the Division chaplain held a conference at which all
27 chaplains aboard were present. After being ad-
dressed by the Commanding General and the G-l
(personnel officer), there was a roundtable discussion,
during which "the same old subject of transportation
came up. However, it is clear that all CO's are
furnishing wheels when a chaplain has a scheduled
Divine Service." Slattery's conclusion on this matter
would be echoed by every chaplain in the Corps:
"Maybe someday Congress will make an appropria-
tion for jeeps to be specially allotted to chaplains!"
The British chaplains were at least better off on
that point, though from the American point of view
they suffered some disabilities in turn.
One of our pleasant associations here has been with the
Padres of the British Commonwealth Division. I visited
their senior chaplain last Wednesday. You know their sys-
tem, of course. They are envious of the fine integration of
our Protestant and Catholic chaplains and of the considera-
tion the Chaplains Division gives to the men in the field.
Their tour is almost 3 years in comparison to our Marine
tour. Of course they are on an Army plan. I guess the
142 —
Marine Padres, Inc.
The corporation is composed of the following chaplains (left
to right) Albert D. Prickett, Samuel Sobel, and Edward
A. Slattery.
only field in which they outdo us is in their mobility, due to
the jeep situation.
But at least one office had its own vehicle. Over
the jolting roads of Korea there used to roll a battered
jeep carrying across its windshield base in bold letters
MARINE PADRES, INC. On one side of this leg-
end was a cross, on the other a Star of David. Used
in turn by the three chaplains at Division Headquar-
ters, the jeep was "kept in operation with repairs from
at least a half dozen units," as it kept breaking down
on the road.
That jeep was more than simply a means of trans-
portation; it became a symbol of interfaith coopera-
tion and of the concern of American Marines for the
work of God. Concerning it Slattery wrote : "Marine
Padres, Inc., declares regular dividends, spiritual in
nature, but more real than gilt-edged bonds. Out of
the treasury of the Bible and of religious tradition is
drawn a currency which the Communists across the
hills cannot counterfeit. Marines facing the fire of
the enemy hear the sound of the shofar, the melody of
a field organ, the tinkle of a Sanctus bell, and each
in his own faith finds strength."
Reserve Chaplains
With the outbreak of the Korean War the Chap-
lains Division, traditionally opposed to using any but
volunteers, was not at first willing to recall any chap-
lains to active duty without their consent. (As has
been earlier noted, chaplains in pay billets with Or-
ganized Marine Reserve units had been mobilized with
their respective units.) When the procurement of
USN chaplains and the voluntary return of USNR
chaplains proved insufficient to meet the needs of the
service, the Chief of Chaplains reluctantly decided
on a program of involuntary recall. The first thus
recalled to duty were given a refresher course in the
reactivated chaplains school in October 1951. A
chaplain involuntarily recalled who had had a year's
active duty between December 1941 and September
1945 was obligated to serve 17 months. Involuntary
recallees without such prior active duty had to serve
24 months, as did chaplains who had volunteered to
return to duty and those who had been mobilized with
Marine Reserve units.
Now for the first time some chaplains serving in
Korea were beginning to anticipate the end of their
obligated service. On 26 May Chaplain Slattery
wrote the Chief:
If I am not mistaken, three of the chaplains here are due
for release from active duty in January 1953. I mention it
at this time to assist your detail desk in their long range plans.
To this Salisbury replied:
I want to assure you that we will release Reserve chap-
lains when they come due. There is no intention of holding
anyone beyond his obligated term of service. Of course you
realize that the world situation could change this policy, but
short of all-out mobilization no change is anticipated.
Since chaplains arriving on or after 1 February 1952
were expected to serve a 10-month tour in Korea, the
question arose of how this would apply to Reserve
chaplains whose obligated service would expire before
their 10 months were up. Slattery wanted to know
whether they would be returned stateside in time to
be released at the termination of their required duty
or whether they would be expected to remain in
Korea at least until suitable reliefs should arrive. He
felt that both he and the chaplains concerned should
have a firm commitment from the Chaplains Division.
Chaplain Mannion replied on 22 July:
We will not hold chaplains beyond the period of their
obligated service or the date that they request inactive duty,
whichever is later. Chaplains in Korea scheduled to be re-
leased from active duty will be returned to the United States
in time to be released on schedule.
Chaplains in Action
Excerpts from Chaplain Slattery's frequent letters
to Chaplain Salisbury reveal a man devoted to his
work and keenly appreciative of the work of his
colleagues.
16 June 1952.
This past week we have had the pleasure of a visit from
[FMF Pac] Chaplain [M. H] Twitchell who has seen all the
chaplains of the lit Marine Division. . . .
143
On 1 1 June Chaplain Willets received a slight wound on
the chin. He was about to conduct a service at Company
level when a round came in. After his wound was dressed
he returned to conduct the service.
5 July 1952.
The chaplains' reports for the month of June indicate how
completely devoted most of them are to their religious duties.
A total of 1,298 Divine Services were held during June:
392 Sunday, 495 daily, and 41 1 special services.
The chaplains here celebrated July Fourth by having a
softball game. Due to our "advanced years" we only played
five innings but found that sufficient to discover a few unused
muscles. . . . After the game we all went for a swim in
the Imjin River. The Southern Baptists were intent on duck-
ing the rest of us, on the grounds that our baptisms needed
some amplification. The Rabbi must have suspected that
we would all try to baptize him as he stayed on the river
bank to heckle us.
15 July 1952.
Our Catholic chaplains have sent over $1,300 to the
Chaplain's Aid Association. General Sclden gave his ap-
proval to the collection, which was requested by Bishop
Griffiths of the Military Ordinariate Office.
On 29 July Slattery wrote further about the situ-
ation in the 1st Combat Service Group.
In order to pin down the picture ... I asked for TAD
for 5 days and went by train from Seoul to Pusan. There I
conferred with the Second Logistical Command which
handles our supplies. ... By convoy I went to Masan.
Convoy is required due to guerilla activities. The situation
there is now well in hand. You may refer to my letter of
5 May for Chaplain Stamper's estimate of the situation there.
A reformation has been accomplished, however, by a very
alert CO.
The chaplain flew from Masan to Pohang for a
conference with the Air Wing chaplains, finding it
"a treat to sleep between sheets for a change." From
there he flew to Taegu, to visit at 8th Army Head-
quarters.
We are not accountable to 8th Army, but since we take
care of some Army units and they in turn service some of
our Marines, I thought it advantageous to visit them. . . .
Eighth Army is very pleased with Marine chaplains' co-
operation and our high standards of personnel and "pro-
duction."
These letters often contained pleasant comment as
well as businesslike assessment of the work of his chap-
lains and the needs of the Division. For instance,
earlier in the summer:
The weather is fine, dry, and warm. The nights cool off
to the point where a sleeping bag is a most welcome refuge.
As we wake in the morning we are greeted by the sound of
coo-coos in the valleys. At first we thought we were hearing
ourselves crack up! Washington should import a few to
go along with the atmosphere.
His return to the Division CP after the journey
just described was reported in a letter containing the
following :
The weather has turned precipitously, if I may play on
words. Roads have become greasy, dangerous ways, topped
by a few inches of what resembles melted chocolate ice
cream. [He then reported accidents to Chaplains Jones and
Mendonsa.] Both are with outfits on the line, but we have
plugged the gaps by having a couple of the Padres triple in
brass. They have already been doubling in brass.
On 1-2 August the Division was visited by Dr.
Stewart Robinson, Chairman of the General Commis-
sion on Chaplains. After protests from Slattery his
visit had been extended from the few hours which I
Corps, in charge of arrangements, had first allotted.
Accompanied by Chaplain Morse of 8th Army and his
own son, a lieutenant in Combat Service Group, the
visitor was
given the plush treatment by General Selden, who ordered
'copters to hop Dr. Robinson about. Included in the itin-
erary were two visits to General Harrison at Base Camp
and a tour to a front line company in Chaplain McCabe's
sector. The details of the visit here were handled most ef-
ficiently and courteously by Chaplain Prickett.
(Maj. Gen. William K. Harrison, an Army officer
with a long record of interest in the work of chap-
lains, had succeeded Adm. C. Turner Joy on 22 May
as senior delegate of the United Nations Command
at the Panmunjom truce talks.)
Chaplains' Chaplain
Among the standard items of social small talk to
which chaplains are routinely subjected is the tired
old question, "Say, 'padre,' who do you take your
troubles to?" No chaplain will, of course, give the
answer that rises first to his mind, for such occasions
are hardly appropriate for a serious rejoinder. The
answer ought to be obvious to anyone who knows
what a chaplain is; like all sincerely religious men, he
takes his troubles to the Lord. Still, human mediation
is as frequently helpful to the servant of God as it is to
his lay brethren. The ideal supervisory chaplain is
one who can be at the same time firm enough not to
overlook the needs of the service and sympathetic
enough to be of aid and comfort to his colleagues.
He should be, in the traditional sense of the term,
the "bishop" of his brethren.
Three chaplains in the Division were called upon
to face difficult personal situations during the summer
of 1952. Early in May Chaplain B. N. Wolfe was
informed that his father was in the terminal stages
of a grave illness. He requested information via the
Red Cross and asked for emergency leave. Slattery
wrote to Chaplain Salisbury:
— 144 —
Commission Visitor.
Dr. Steward Robinson (center, first row), Chairman of the General Commission of Chaplains meets with the Protestant
chaplains of the 1st Marine Division in Korea. Standing (left to right) : Chaplains Oscar Weber, First Medical Bat-
talion; Robert H. Willets, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine; Ernest A. Wolfram, Jr., 1st Engineer Battalion; Alexander W.
Boyer, 1st Motor Transport Battalion; Alia W. Robertson, 1st Tank Battalion; Thomas A. Newman, Jr., 1st Service
Battalion; and Carl W. Herrick, 2d Battalion. Sitting (left to right) Ward D. McCabe, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines; F. E.
Morse, deputy Army chaplain (EUSAK) ; Dr. Robinson; A. D. Prickett, assistant chaplain of the division and John H.
Muller, 1st Shore Party Battalion.
Leave requests are extremely tight here. In the event
that he is granted leave our G-l intends to request his
detachment. We have orders for his detachment in July;
his reporting date here was 20 December 1951. Will you
be kind enough to alert the proper desk for such a con-
tingency and perhaps send out a replacement for him
quicker than anticipated? We will be able with a little
juggling to cover the Protestant services he has been
handling.
Wolfe's leave was denied, but upon further assurance
from Slattery that the situation in the Division could
be adequately covered, Salisbury ordered him de-
tached on 23 June. Wolfe left, as Slattery wrote,
"deeply grateful for your consideration in sending or-
ders for detachment earlier than July."
On 5 August he wrote: "Perhaps you have heard
that Chaplain Callahan's mother died on 26 July."
In accordance with policies then in effect the chaplain
was denied emergency leave.
On Saturday, 2 August, the Catholic chaplains went to
Callahan's battalion where we sang a Solemn Requiem Mass
assisted by Pat Adams and Gus Mendonsa. The rest of us
sang the Mass and were a little bit pleased with our memory
of the music, as many of us have not been at a Solemn
Requiem in some time and had neither notes nor organist
to accompany.
The results were neither lugubrious nor ludicrous and I
am sure Chaplain Callahan's spirits were lifted consider-
ably. Due to Dr. Robinson's tour our fellow chaplains were
not able to attend. One consoling note was the turnout of
enlisted men of the battalion. Protestant lads stood the
outposts for the Catholic lads who came to kneel in the
rain and mud, garbed in full battle dress of helmet and
armored vest.
A month later Slattery was writing to the Chap-
lains Division, "Chaplain Weber's father died on 10
September. He received the telegram notifying him
of the death but no further details have arrived as
yet." Unless the serviceman's presence was adjudged
— 145 —
positively necessary that he might attend to family
matters, emergency leave was not normally granted
in the case of the death of a parent.
On this entire matter Slatery wrote on 17 October:
Speaking of morale, we have a new directive from the
Marine Corps Commandant, which is much more "humane,"
on emergency leave requests, and a new Chief of Staff who is
not quite so adamant as was the former Chief of Staff.
The proper balance beween a man's own assessment
of his personal needs and the command's judgment
concerning his usefulness to the military service is not
one always easily arrived at. At this point chaplains
often are able to be of service both to the command
and to its members; and sometimes, as this account
shows, a chaplain was himself involved in the
dilemma.
"Bunker Hill"
Reduced for the most part to "trench warfare" this
summer's fighting was only occasionally punctuated
by violent combat. Such were the furious episodes
which occurred in August over two hill outposts,
dubbed by the Marines "Bunker Hill" and "Siberia."
Directly involved in both were units of the 1st Ma-
Prelude to Bunker Hill.
Chaplain Oscar Weber holds communion services for marines
before they join in the fight for Bunker Hill.
rines. Writing soon afterwards, on 17 August, Slat-
tery told the Chief:
Two of your chaplains distinguished themselves by their
devotion to duty. . . . Chaplains McCabe and Callahan
stood by their men through the long nights. At one time
McCabe was at an aid station which was surrounded. . . .
Neither suffered any wounds, though both looked extremely
weary when I went up to see them on Wednesday.
And he went on:
Chaplains Weber and Guillaume backed up their efforts
by working at the front, although both their battalions had
been in reserve. Tex Robertson followed his Tankers right
into the thick of it too.
At the medical companies an outstanding job was done
by Chaplain Barlik, who shifted from the Operating Room
to the Admission Ward, saw wounded off in the 'copters and
at the same time managed to sandwich in his services with the
Korean Marine Corps unit nearby. The Korean Marines,
incidentally, expect the assignment of a Korean Catholic
chaplain shortly, which will relieve us of the responsibility.
Flying over the 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, com-
mand post during the "Bunker Hill" holocaust was a
green brocade banner depicting the Archangel Mi-
chael, his feet resting on the vanquished hammer and
sickle of Communism. Lt. Col. G. T. Armitage, bat-
talion commander, deciding that his men needed to be
reminded of the dependence of their cause on God,
secured permission from Headquarters, Marine Corps,
to fly the banner. Designed by Capt. J. B. Ord, a
company commander, it was embroidered by Korean
children in the Star of the Sea Roman Catholic or-
phanage at Inchon. On 25 July the Roman Catholic
personnel of the battalion were dedicated to the protec-
tion of St. Michael, and each company furnished a
burgee of the banner. Capt. H. J. O'Conner, a com-
pany commander, commented: "Regardless of their
creed, our men felt the banner to be a very personal in-
centive." Flown for the first time at "Bunker Hill,"
the flags accompanied the battalion in subsequent ac-
tions and were still flying when the guns at last grew
still across Korea. When the original had become bat-
tleworn beyond repair, it was duplicated by wives of
Korean Marines and the tattered relic sent to Marine
Corps Headquarters.
"Siberia"
"Siberia" was a hillcrest in the Panmunjom corri-
dor where a terrible, indecisive 24-hour battle took
place. During the darkness a United Nations outpost
manned by ten Marines was overrun by a reinforced
company of Chinese; two were killed and seven of
the remaining eight wounded. An undersized platoon
attempting a counterattack was quickly beaten back.
With morning close air support was brought into play
— 146
International Chaplains' Conference.
Chaplain Ward D. McCabe is host to visiting chaplains. Left to right Chaplain Roy H. McKenzie, Unit No. 16 Field
Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery, 1st Commonwealth Division, Chaplain McCabe. and Chaplain Roy Liddell,
1st Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Battalion.
and a reinforced platoon charged the hill, but after
an hour and a half ordered to withdraw, so devastat-
ing was the opposition.
Air strikes were made on "Siberia" all afternoon
and at first dark, as a ripple of rockets hit the hill,
the Marines moved out once more. By midnight the
battle had become, as Marine Corps Combat Corre-
spondent T. Sgt. Jim Coleman put it. a "hand-to-
hand slugging match." Although driving the Chinese
down the reverse slope the Marines were finally un-
able to hold the hill and were ordered to withdraw.
Throughout the fight Chaplains McCabe and Calla-
han stayed with their Marines, helping the wounded
and acting as stretcher bearers when not attending
to their religious duties.
Both chaplains were subsequently given the Letter
of Commendation award. That of Chaplain Ward
D. McCabe covered the period 28 April— 3 1 August
1952. "During periods when the regiment was en-
gaged in combat against the enemy," the citation read
in part, "he worked long, tedious hours, with no con-
cern for his personal safety, to aid and comfort the
sick and wounded. His courage and initiative in
helping to evacuate the wounded were an inspiration
to all who observed him." Chaplain James T. Calla-
han was cited for services from 22 March to 26 Sep-
tember, the citation reading in part:
During periods when the regiment was engaged in combat
against the enemy, he devoted long, arduous hours, with
complete disregard for his personal safety, providing aid and
comfort to the sick and wounded. . . . His cheerfulness,
sympathetic understanding of individual problems and his
ever ready willingness to offer advice and comfort to all
were outstanding.
:,X,:.:.-j. O— 60-
147
Mass on the Western Front.
Chaplain James T. Callahan holds mass for the 1st Marines
immediately behind the frontlines.
Combat Footnotes
A realistic picture of what actually went on in
Korea must sometimes be obtained from what appear
as merely "footnotes to history." Incident upon inci-
dent would be needed to fill in with meaningful detail
what often appears in an historical account as only
a bare outline. Many such were reported, often full
of courage, sometimes of pathos and not seldom of
humor also. Chaplain Slattery once wrote :
One lad stopped me and asked if I would hear his con-
fession, as his company was moving out. I squatted on the
hillside and suddenly had a line of forty or more waiting
to be "shriven." With all due respect to the seriousness of
the sacrament and the occasion, I couldn't help chuckling
when one lad knelt down and said, "Father, I haven't been
to church in a long time; may I have another chance?"
He added: "They are fine lads. I suggested to each
one that a clean conscience is like a clean weapon, in-
valuable in battle."
On one occasion Charlie Company, 1st Battalion,
7th Marines was moving up. S. Sgt. E. A. Seneri,
heavy machine gun section leader yelled to his men,
"No matter what happens up here, I don't want any
man leaving any weapon or part behind. When we
move out, leave nothing!" That night a fierce battle
took place; next morning, the action over, the sergeant
took inventory and found a machine gun barrel and
accessory parts missing. Shouted the sergeant, "No
man leaves here until those parts are produced!"
That afternoon Seneri sheepishly accepted the parts
from Chaplain Prickett. Pfc. L. E. House, Jr., had
been wounded and on being evacuated had refused to
leave behind his spare machine gun parts. About to
be sent to a hospital ship, he was still clutching them
when the chaplain came along and promised to see
that they were returned to the careful sergeant.
Concerning Chaplain Samuel Sobel the Division
Chaplain once wrote, "He sparkles as does the Star
of David we have on the chapel here." (The Division
chapel was embellished with a glistening white cross
and six-pointed white star on its front wall.)
Sam suggested that he would take a picture of the crowd
leaving a Sunday Mass as "proof" of fine attendance at the
"Synagogue." I agreed to line up some likely candidates
and have two fine young Marine officers — O'Hara and
O'Brien — who could pass for Cantors to flank the good
Rabbi.
During a bit of fierce fighting in October the Rev-
erend Wynn Rhys of the British Commonwealth Divi-
sion came over to offer Slattery the loan of some of
his chaplains if the Marines became short-handed.
As they stood talking the two chaplains witnessed an
awesome scene.
One of our Marine pilots was caught by antiaircraft fire.
He was too low to bail out and fought to bring his crippled
plane back over our lines. But he could not land safely
and went in with a crash, the plane a blazing inferno.
Wynn and I prayed from the distance for his soul. . . .
Religious Ministry
More important in their own eyes than all their
other work was the chaplains' religious ministry,
which under the circumstances presented its familiar
aspects not only to the chaplains but to their military
"parishioners" as well. Rarely, even in the most stable
units, with chapel facilities somewhat approximating
those back home, did Divine Service fail to seem dif-
ferent from worshiping in the familiar, hallowed sur-
roundings of one's own church or synagogue. Know-
ing that, the chaplains helped to bridge the difference.
They tried to make real to their congregations, large
and small, in open-air or log-buttressed bunker or
Quonset chapel, the Presence of God. As they knew
or sometimes rediscovered, and as their Marines often
learned for the first time, a man is never nearer home
than when he prays.
Statistics give at least a skeleton outline of the chap-
lains' ministry. The May figures below were taken
from a report made by the Division Chaplain to the
conference of chaplains held in June, where they were
listed individually after each chaplain's name. Slat-
tery thought this would "help keep the boys on their
toes." The September figures have been taken from
148 —
the semimonthly reports submitted by the Division
Chaplain to the Division G-l. ^^^^^^M|Mg|
September | .^»/-»
May 1952 1952 ■ -
Sunday services conducted 309 351 « ^fci«
Attendance 1 5, 532 18, 505 <fe|
Daily services conducted 493 607
Attendance 9, 022 9,758 Wf £bm&±
Special Services, etc.1 358 540
Attendance 9, 736 14, 466
Visits to hospitals, aid stations. . . . 403 501
Patients visited 3, 057 3, 528
Letters written 840 807
Counseling interviews 8, 401 5, 794
Visits to Brig Not listed 9
Prisoners interviewed 59 ** //^i » ^B
1 Including Bible classes, rosary devotions, character guidance
lectures, and other special or supplementary services.
The chaplains of course had no control over weather,
strategic moves, tactical situations, or other influenc-
ing factors, but the fact that, as they held more serv- Anointing With Oil.
ices, the men generally attended them in larger num- Chaplain August F. Mendonsa anoints a candidate for
bers would seem to bear out Slattery's expressed hope ap ism W1 01 '
in May that, while they were already doing a good
job, the chaplains could "step up production" some- . , , , , , __ ,,..,,
. ned spread on the work of Navy chaplains in Korea,
wbat. , . . _ ,,._, ,,, ., , .
t-« ■ t «. i ■ ,„.,, , , „„ „ featuring A. r. ( Gus ) Mendonsa in a generous
During June Chaplain Willets conducted 29 Sun- . ° . - . . ^ 4 , ■ , .
, . . ,_ . ., , . . «- number of field photographs engaged in typical chap-
day services and 57 daily services, for a total of 86, , ■ ... f ... , , , .
,, ,. ^ „. -, „, , ,. , , . , . lain activities: hearing confessions and celebrating
topping the list. The Roman Catholic chaplains had ,- . , , . . , "?
J., ,,-r., ,„ , p Mass, typing letters (to parents or wives of wounded
each conducted ID Sunday masses (3 on each of 5 w • 1 . , • r , , ■„ . .
c ,,,.,.., , „ , Marines, to bereaved relatives of those killed in action
Sundays) and a Mass daily, plus usually some other , , . . , , .
. i . , . , . or to anyone else to whom it was a service to a Marine
service, such as a rosary devotion or catechetical in- , . . ...... . , ,
to have a letter written), visiting in hospitals and en-
struction. . . ,. ... , . .
-.. r\ ^ i. Lrii- ii. . Saglng ln counseling in all sorts of situations, even
During October the following chaplains each con- ° ° . , ° .- .
j^, -n . . ,. , r distributing cakes and cookies sent over by a women s
ducted over 50 services, as indicated : . , , , . . . 0 _,
church group in the United States. The text read:
Sunday Daily Total Like anyone eise m the United Nations Military Forces
p h pnCke" 62 8° he finds that there are no set hours of work. On the battle-
' ' field, especially, the call to duty is frequent and the hours
18 long and arduous. At all times of the day and night, the
•»■•••..«-, . , wounded and the dying cry out for the chaplain. And the
rive others had conducted 40 or more services each c « c -.u u ^ j u • • . • » ■»■
*"*"•- »»»■"'«> to>-" men of all faiths who serve God by ministering to His peo-
during the month, including Sunday and daily: W. pie are always there to heed the cry.
Rowland, 45; J. H. Muller, 44; O. Weber, 43; and So, too, in the rear echelons and the base camps, the
A. F. Mendonsa and E. A. Slattery, 40 each. chaplains are ready to serve the men. While their first duty
The chaplains too were often in need of spiritual is t0 care for the men's spiritual welfare> there are many
, . A . _, . times when they take a hand in material things,
retreshment. A retreat (or as Slattery wrote, since TL ■ , -\ u- u-
v«. v.* u'«""j «»v/n., num. jjjg serviceman s family, his pay worries, his entertain-
"Marines never retreat," a Recollection) for the Ro- ment and general welfare, all these are often the province
man Catholics was held in August at the Columban of the chaplain. He must be the priest, the confessor, the
Fathers' House in Seoul, the chaplains going in two counsellor, and the brother of those he serves.
shifts so as to keep the Division covered for emer- Reminiscent of the Old Testament story of Moses
gencies. The Protestants also planned a retreat at and the Exodus was the Ark that "went to war" in
Seoul. Korea. When Chaplain Sobel was slated for the Di-
The weekly Roman Catholic newspaper Our Sun- vision, he had the Ark constructed in Honolulu and
day Visitor carried in its 5 October 1952 issue a digni- brought it out with him. An upright chest of Philip-
— 149 —
pine mahogany, its opened doors revealed superim-
posed upon them hand-carved candelabra, gilded to
symbolize the Golden Candlestick of the Jerusalem
Temple and fitted with flame-shaped bulbs. Veiling
the parchment scroll of the Torah there hung a hand-
some curtain embroidered with a crown and a Star of
David. The two Tables of the Law affixed at the top
were surmounted in turn by a burning light symboliz-
ing the Eternal Light which is the Word of the Lord.
Used in Jewish services in various chapels, the Ark
was so compact that the chaplain was able to carry it
in its specially made canvas case to front line units as
well.
As summer turned into fall Sobel made plans for
observing the High Holy Days, beginning with Rosh
Hashanah (New Year) and ending with Yom Kippur
(Day of Atonement). An accompanying photograph
shows the chaplain with the shofar (ram's horn)
raised to his lips, sounding the age-old call that brings
Israel to the sanctuary of her God. Services were
held not only in the Division chapel, but also in
smaller units. (Wrote Slattery, "Sobel went on Fri-
day to conduct services at the Shore Party Battalion,
where Chaplain Muller had gathered about 30 Jew-
ish personnel.") On occasion, as conditions allowed,
the Jewish chaplain would fly to the 1st Marine Air-
craft Wing to hold services there.
This history cannot and indeed need not detail the
activities of each individual chaplain; from the ma-
terial available accounts have been selected which
were either unusual or else typical enough to illustrate
the work of all the chaplains. We should like to echo
a word included in FMF Pac Chaplain M. H. Twitch-
ell's quarterly report of 2 May 1952.
The pointing out of certain outstanding work on the part
of particular chaplains named in this report is not intended
to reflect in any way on the quality of performance by the
other chaplains. The . . . monthly statistical reports, and
Jewish Services.
Chaplain Samuel Sobel conducts Jewish services for 1st Division Marines.
150-
Mural Dedication.
Maj. Gen. Edwin A. Pollock, Commanding General, 1st
Marine Division, and Private Sedney S. Levy, the artist,
stand by a mural dedicated in the Division Chapel on the
177th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine
Corps. The mural depicts the work of the chaplains
among marines.
reports received from other sources, reveal that the chaplains
are giving an outstanding performance of duty in their min-
istry with the personnel they serve.
And in one of his letters to Chaplain Salisbury,
Slattery wrote :
In reviewing some of my letters, I noted that I have not
made mention of Chaplains Muller and Strumski. Both are
working in rear area billets which are both demanding.
They are two unsung heroes, in the sense that their work is
not of the "headline" variety.
Both chaplains were not only working faithfully with
their own Marine charges, but were busy in helping
the civilian populace, in leper colonies, orphanages,
schools, and local churches.
Chaplain Muller was attached to the first shore
party, located in an area known as Ascom City. There
he had the use of a handsome chapel built in 1945 by
American troops on occupation duty in Korea fol-
lowing World War II. An all Korean choir trained
by M. Sgt. P. C. Payne and Pfc. Fred Bussa under the
chaplain's guidance sang at numerous service func-
tions and broadcast weekly in the Seoul-Inchon area
from the Segaly Methodist Church in Bupyong.
Muller wrote of preaching in a former Buddhist
temple which, with its attendant buildings, had been
previously turned into an orphanage caring for 350
children, its main shrine now a place of Christian wor-
ship. Wrote the chaplain:
We have preached the unsearchable riches of Christ in
mess halls, a maintenance shop, movie theaters, the open air,
in classrooms, and in our lovely chapel, and in Korean
schools, orphanages, and churches. We average seventeen
services a week.
Included among his ''converts to Christ" were Amer-
ican servicemen, ROK soldiers and wounded veterans,
and personnel from the Korean Service Corps — the
civilian laborers attached to military units; and the
chaplain added, probably remembering by contrast
most civilian parishes at home, "The majority of them
are men!"
The Chaplain Section had an appropriate gift for
the 177th Marine Corps Birthday celebrated, as it is
annually, on 10 November. Two large murals for
the Division CP chapel, painted by Pfc. Sid Levy, were
dedicated in a service led by the Headquarters Bat-
talion chaplains, with Maj. Gen. Edward A. Pollock,
new Division commander, giving the address.
The general commended the artist for having
caught the "religious spirit of the fighting Marines
who dedicate themselves daily to a cause of justice
and honor." He continued:
As we observe Marines worshiping in the field, we forcibly
realize that in their hearts there is a fervent, undying faith
which blood and death and the clamor of battle cannot sup-
press. . . . The hundreds of thousands who have attended
various services since the Brigade first came to the shores of
Korea will be as lasting a contribution to the redemption of
this country as the blood shed and the lives given.
A handsome bulletin carried photographic repro-
ductions of the murals under the legend "My house
shall be called a house of prayer for all people." Each
mural was composed of montage arrangements of
small scenes of chaplains engaging in their combat
ministry, dominated in the upper section by helmeted
faces, in one mural two representing the Army and the
Air Force, in the other, two representing the Navy and
the Marine Corps. Included in the responsive read-
ing were two intensely compelling verses: "Behold
how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell to-
gether in unity" and "Except the Lord build the
house, they labor in vain who build it; except the
Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in
vain."
From January to November inclusively the chap-
lains conducted 3,662 Sunday services with 193,787
attending and 5,513 daily services with 101,180 at-
tending. Special services (Bible classes, etc.) totaled
3,852, with 100,630 in attendance. They had held
— 151
56,857 counseling interviews, made 4,475 visits to the
sick and wounded, and written 8,522 letters.
Chinese Upsurge
During October and November action at the front
was stepped up; more frequent clashes were marked
by extremely bitter fighting. On 9 October Chaplain
Slattery wrote.
As you have gathered from the news reports, we have
had an extremely busy few days. Chaplains Jones and
Barlik, at the medical companies, went sleepless a few nights
due to patient load.
And on 27 October:
Once again we had a busy night on the front. The
Chinese Communists seem to be celebrating their second
anniversary of entrance into the Korean War by pushing
hard against outposts of ours.
The next day he reported on the action in a long
letter to Chaplain Salisbury.
The Marines have won another great battle. The papers
are probably calling it the "Battle of the Hook." As usual
your chaplains performed well, which is expected of them
now.
Chaplain Prickett spent the first night of the battle at
a forward aid station. I went up to see him yesterday and
he was pretty tired. . . . Chaplain Guillaume had spent
the night at the battalion aid station, and Chaplain Pat
Adams came up for last night. When Guillaume went to
the forward aid station. Prickett and Adams took care of
the evacuees at Battalion. I went to see Prickett again
this morning. He was much refreshed and spent the day
visiting his unit casualties who had not been already evacu-
ated to the hospital ship.
As usual the medical companies are rushed. Moore
teamed up with Jones and Lane and they did a wonderful
job at Charlie Med. Barlik and Herrick teamed up at
Easy Med.
Incidentally Barlik received some garbled publicity, a
United Press report which states the chaplain has a medical
degree. It was one of those wrong slants that eager jour-
nalists get. Barlik has given unselfishly of his strength and
the medicos really have words of high praise for his assistance
in the OR [operating room]. I have seen him work there
and he does have pretty good technique. I want to assure
you, however, that he is not "practising medicine and
surgery."
Barlik was consequently awarded the Letter of
Commendation, which cited among his other minis-
tries his help to the surgeons: "Performing in the ca-
pacity of an assistant at surgical operations, he con-
tributed materially to the success of more than 75
surgical cases." The award was for the period 30
March-3 November 1952.
Savage as it was on occasion, the fighting continued
to be sporadic. In the intervals and in those units
not directly engaged, life went on much as usual. On
18 October Slattery wrote that 1st Aircraft Wing
Chaplain Parker had flown up "to see how we were
caring for two of his 'chopper' units. We gave him
the $64 tour of the front lines, which he enjoyed
tremendously."
On 26 October Chaplains Weber, P. Adams, and
Sobel held a Memorial Service for Marine and Navy
personnel of the 1st Marines and attached units lost
in combat from 26 -July to 12 October 1952. The
cover of the service folder displayed a bronze plaque
affixed to a stone building, with the shadow of a
Marine in combat dress falling across the inscribed
words :
THAT THE BEAUTY OF
HIS COUNTENANCE BE
NOT HIDDEN FROM
HIS OWN
THAT HIS WOUNDS
AND WOE WHEREIN
HE WROTE HIS LOVE
BE KNOWN TO
ALL THE PEOPLE
HE REDEEMED
Chaplain T. A. Newman, Jr., a former Navy hos-
pital corpsman and according to Slattery a man of
"naturally sympathetic disposition" was able to render
exceptional service in motivating Marines who had
developed "nerves" to return to the lines. On 10
November his battalion commander authorized him
to go to one of the forward outposts, carrying a Marine
Corps birthday cake. "Chaplain Newman said some
prayers for the lads on the outpost, then all hands
sang the Marine Corps Hymn and they all sat in a
cave to feast." Slattery added :
Incidentally, I have a standing agreement with all bat-
talion commanders that chaplains will not go forward of
the MLR [main line of resistance] to OP's [outposts] without
specific authorization. "Real estate" forward of the MLR
is under hot dispute too often for the Padres to tour without
a special visa.
Concerning this point Chaplain Mannion wrote in
reply:
I certainly agree with [your policy]. . . . The unnecessary
exposure to danger may be commendable to a limited de-
gree, but certainly our chaplains should not be foolhardy,
exposing themselves to unnecessary danger and running the
risk of cutting off their services to God and country.
As November drew to a close, after appropriate
Thanksgiving services everywhere throughout the Di-
vision, the men's thoughts began turning toward
Christmas and home. Ten boxes of gaily wrapped
Christmas gifts arrived in the Division chaplain's office
from the employees of the Kiplinger Organization in
Washington, D.C. Writing to them on 3 December
— 152 —
Slattery said, "Even though it seems as though we are
rushing the season a little, the packages have been
distributed to the men on the line."
Bronze Star Awards
Four chaplains received the Bronze Star for serv-
ices in the 1st Marine Division during the 8th Korean
Campaign or for periods whose terminal dates fell
within that time. Chaplain James C. Moore was
awarded the Bronze Star for "meritorious achieve-
ment . . . while serving with a Marine infantry bat-
talion in Korea from 12 February to 5 July 1952."
After citing his initiative, courage, and industrious-
ness in providing a ministry to his men, Moore's cita-
tion continues: "He was consistently present in the
front line trenches when friendly patrols and raids re-
turned from making contact with the enemy."
Chaplain Noah L. McDowell was cited for coura-
geous action on 13 September 1952. The Fire Direc-
tion Center, Battery C, 159th Field Artillery Battalion
received an intense concentrated shelling by hostile
fire, one shell scoring a direct hit on a squad tent, kill-
ing four men and wounding five others. Chaplain
McDowell, who was with the 4th Battalion, 11th Ma-
rines, when word was received of the situation in the
Army unit, immediately made his way there. His
citation continues the story :
Entering a gun section tent where a direct hit had killed
or wounded the occupants, he bravely remained with the men
in the face of grave danger to render spiritual comfort and
to administer first aid. After helping to move the wounded
to nearby sheltered bunkers for further medical treatment,
Lieutenant McDowell remained with them until they were
evacuated.
Chaplain Robert H. Willets, who received the Pur-
ple Heart after being wounded on 12 June, was also
awarded the Bronze Star for his service as regimental
chaplain, 7th Marines, covering the period 2 May-20
September 1952.
Although frequently exposed to enemy mortar, artillery
and small arms fire and wounded in action on one occasion,
he persevered in his efforts to aid and comfort the men of
the regiment, constantly leaving sheltered positions and mov-
ing through interdicted zones to minister to the spiritual
needs of the stricken men. By his marked coolness under
fire, strength of faith and unswerving devotion to duty, Lieu-
tenant Willets served to inspire and encourage all who ob-
served him. . . .
The fourth was Chaplain Lionel A. Guillaume
whose Bronze Star award for the period 29 April-8
November 1952 cited his untiring labors in the face of
enemy fire.
Despite extremely adverse conditions, he constantly moved
among the wounded Marines with words of encouragcnn nt,
attempting to make the casualties as comfortable as possible
and, in many instances, administering first aid to the stricken
men.
Letter of Commendation Award
Nine chaplains serving in the 1st Marine Division
received the Letter of Commendation for duty during
the 8th Korean Campaign or for periods whose ter-
minal dates fell within that time. Those of Chaplains
McCabe, Callahan, and Barlik have been noted.
Chaplain Alan R. Gibbons was cited for service
from 15 October 1951 to 7 May 1952, almost all of it
within the 7th Campaign. His citation notes that
"his courageous and selfless actions were directly in-
strumental in saving the lives of several wounded Ma-
rines." Chaplain Henry C. Duncan's award covered
the period 18 January-29 May 1952, noting that
"working under hazardous conditions, he was con-
stantly at hand to administer spiritual guidance and
assistance to the men. . . ."
Chaplain Jonathan C. Brown, Jr., was cited for
excellent service from 30 May to 4 November 1952;
Chaplain Alia W. Robertson for service with the Tank
Battalion from 2 March to 7 November 1952; and
Chaplain Oscar Weber, for the period 2 August-30
November 1952, the latter part as regimental chaplain,
1st Marines. All three were commended for their
devotion and courage in providing a religious minis-
try to men in combat, earning by their attitude the
respect and gratitude of the men they served.
The ninth chaplain to receive the Letter of Com-
mendation was Ernest A. Wolfram, Jr., for service in
the 1st Engineer Battalion from 15 January-1 Septem-
ber 1952. His citation read in part:
Lieutenant Wolfram conducted services for all units of
the battalion and planned services to meet the religious needs
of all faiths. With no concern for his personal safety, he
went to companies in direct support of front line units to
hold church services, although often subjected to enemy
sniper, mortar and artillery fire. On one occasion, while
visiting members of the battalion working on a road within
close proximity to the enemy, he was pinned down an hour
by enemy mortar fire. . . . His conduct throughout was in
keeping with the highest traditions of the United States
Naval Service.
Chaplain Wolfram died on 30 July 1955, while serv-
ing in the cruiser MANCHESTER.
Air Wing Chaplain Parker
Joseph F. Parker had reported on 18 April 1952 as
Wing Chaplain. Something of his activities at the
outset of the 8th Korean Campaign can be described
by means of excerpts from the Historical Diary sub-
mitted by him for inclusion in the Wing's Historical
153 —
Wing chapel with newly constructed front.
All Hands Evolution.
Even the generals turned out when Chaplain Parker called for
volunteers to help paint the newly constructed chapel of
the air wing. Pictured here wielding paintbrushes are Brig.
Gen. Clayton C. Jerome and Brig. Gen. Frank H. Lamson-
Scribner, commanding general and deputy commander
respectively.
Chapel Painting.
Seabee Lawrence Schoenrock puts the finishing touches on a
religious painting for the MAG 33 new chapel as Chaplain
Gerard J. Clark looks on.
Korean Painter.
Jung Na Vi is shown with his painting of Christ executed for
the MAW Chapel. The artist was an art professor at the
University of Seoul.
■
— 154 —
Report, which in turn became part of the official rec-
ords of the Marine Corps' participation in the Korean
War. (The selected entries are here paraphrased.)
I May. Distributed clothing. Wrote to theological
schools stateside asking for Greek New Testaments for semi-
nary professor in Pusan.
4 May. 0900, Communion at MAG 33 in absence of
Chaplain Seymour, on leave in Japan. Communion at 1015
in Wing Chapel. Drove to MGCIS-3 for Communion at
1300. 1500, another service and Communion at MAG 33.
Brief devotional, MAG 33, 1800. Preached to Korean
Presbyterians at Do Koo through interpreter at a night
service.
8 May. Visited Orphanage, taking scrap building mate-
rials and clothing.
I I May. Mothers Day. Twenty children from orphan-
age sang at 1015 service in Wing Chapel; large congregation.
Children ate with the men in the mess hall. 1300 service
at MGCIS-3 and 1800 service at MAG 33.
13 May. Received overstocked dry cereals and powdered
milk from station and divided it in equal parts for Catholic
Orphanage, Pohang City Orphanage, and Marine
Orphanage.
19 May. Two loads of scrap lumber with no salvageable
value to the Armed Forces given to Chung Nim Dong
Church.
28 May. Attended dedication of Chung Nim Dong
Church. Donated 600,000 won from Protestant Chapel
Fund. Gave the sermon and conveyed best wishes from the
Staff.
30 May. Spent morning with aid of interpreter examin-
ing account books of the U.S. Marine Orphanage. Books
in good order.
Other entries in the same Historical Diary indicate
that the chaplain was busy with the more or less rou-
tine duties of his office. In the absence of the Amer-
ican Red Cross Field Director he acted in cases
requiring Red Cross assistance. Meanwhile he was
holding choir rehearsals, consulting with men who
came to him for help, visiting Sick bay and brig, secur-
ing and distributing supplies to his Wing chaplains,
attending Staff meetings, and in other ways supervis-
ing the overall moral and religious ministry of the
MAW.
Improvements on the new Wing Chapel continued.
On 6 May a new altar was installed, behind which
were painted three murals by L. F. Schoenrock, a
Seabee BU2 stationed with the Marine Aircraft Wing,
who gave his spare time to the project. On Sunday,
18 May, some 200 officers and men gathered at 1300
and within 2 hours the exterior had been painted.
Among those wielding paint brushes were Brig. Gen.
C. C. Jerome, Commanding General of the Wing, and
his deputy, Brig. Gen. F. H. Lamson-Scribner. "The
band furnished music, hot dogs and cokes were served
and all hands had a good time." Later in the month
Choir Robes.
Here is shown the choir of the 1st Air Wing dressed in their
new choir gowns made of parachutes.
brass candelabra were secured from the Army Chap-
lains Warehouse, and 20 small trees were secured and
planted around the chapel.
Deciding that the new chapel warranted a properly
vested choir, the chaplain went to the parachute pack-
ers of the Air Wing, who dug up several parachutes
which could not be salvaged. Half of the nylon ma-
terial was dyed black at a native dyeing establishment,
the rest left white; a local Korean tailor turned the
'chutes into choir robes. Marine personnel wore the
black robes over their green dungarees; the white robes
were worn by Korean girls, employed on the base,
who participated in the chapel services.
Parker wrote later, "We are proud of our chapels.
The one at the Wing is being constantly improved
and is now the best in Korea, though I may be a little
prejudiced." Both Marine Aircraft Group 12 and
Marine Aircraft Group 33 were enlarging and beauti-
fying their chapels and a new one was built at
MGCIS-3, although it had no chaplain aboard. "We
have developed a friendly competitive spirit as to who
is going to have the best chapel."
On 5 May the Wing was visited by Chaplain H. E.
Austin, formerly attached to 1st Marine Division, then
assigned to Air, FMF Pac, Marine Corps Air Station,
El Toro, Calif. Austin had been delegated to speak
for the Chaplains Service Corps, a voluntary group
in Los Angeles, offering welfare items and religious
equipment for the use of chaplains.
Parker issued regular memorandums to the Win«
chaplains. That of 7 May, for instance, requested an
inventory by each chaplain of the religious supplies
and recreational gear in his possession, together with
a reminder on accountability procedures where ap-
propriate. Other items concerned chapel funds, ex-
— 155 —
pendable altar supplies and monthly reports. The
chaplains were advised of the Wing Chaplain's
planned itinerary for the forthcoming month.
The Memorandum of 13 June reminded the chap-
lains that according to the 1949 Geneva Convention
their ID cards should be stamped with a red cross;
they were referred to Bureau of Naval Personnel letter
31-52, dated 29 February 1952. There were two
other reminders: that chaplains' records are retained
in a Marine unit's Medical Office and that the Chap-
lains Division expects to receive direct from each
chaplain concerned a complete set of any change of
duty orders, with all endorsements.
Chaplains Aboard
From Chaplain Parker's roster submitted on 8 July
the-following distribution of chaplains in the 1st MAW
appears :
Wing J. F. Parker CDR
Wing E. C. Mulligan LCDR
MAG 33 H. A. Seymour LCDR
MAG 33 E. M. Lynch LCDR
MAG 12 E. R. Lineberger, Jr . . LTJG
MAG 12 P.J. LaDuca LTJG
MWSS-1 W. B. Conn LT
(Itami)
1st 90 AAA C.R.Harrison LTJG
BAP (S)
RC
METH
RC
LUTH
RC
METH
DISC
Welcome and Farewell.
Orphans and Christians from a Methodist Church hold a
dinner for Chaplain Edwin R. Weidler who was returning
to the United States, and for Chaplain Ernest R. Line-
berger, Jr., who is Weidler's relief.
Lynch had reported on 7 April relieving Chaplain
Sullivan. Lineberger reported on 15 May relieving
Chaplain Weidler. Chaplain Conn reported on 22
May and was assigned to Itami relieving J. C. Brown,
who was transferred to the 1st Marine Division after
2 months duty in the Wing. Mulligan arrived on
14 June, replacing Chaplain Horvath. Only Seymour
had been with the Wing longer than 8 months.
Parker wrote to the Chief: "The average tour of
duty is seven (7) months for aviators and ten (10)
months for line and staff. I understand the present
policy of the Bureau is to keep chaplains in Korea
for the same length of time as other officers." Parker
asked for a Roman Catholic when Harrison should be
relieved; Conn could then be assigned to the AAA
Battalion and the Catholic assigned at Itami, where
the Air Force already had a Protestant. Chaplain
Mannion replied for the Chief of Chaplains concern-
ing the matter of chaplain rotation :
It is our intention to make the tour of duty with 1st
Marine Air Wing in Korea 12 months; however, if other offi-
cers remain there only 10 months we feel that we should fall
in line. Let us put it this way: The duty will be 12 months
but we will attempt to relieve chaplains at the end of 10
months.
Chaplain Lynch was hospitalized in Naval Hospital,
Yokosuka, in June. He returned to duty after a
month but, not recovering satisfactorily, was detached
to the States. In October Chaplain Conn also became
seriously ill and was transferred stateside. The roster
of 1 October showed the following:
Wing J. F. Parker CDR
Wing E. C. Mulligan LCDR
MAG 33 E. R. Lineberger, Jr . LTJG
MAG 33 G. J. Clark LT
MAG 12 J. H. Lampe LCDR
BAP (S)
RC
LUTH
RC
PRESBY
(USA)
RC
METH
MAG 12 P J. La Duca LTJG
MWSS-1 J.W.Paul LCDR
(Itami)
Lampe had reported on 7 July, Clark on 10 September
and Paul on 1 1 September. Chaplain H. F. Fenster-
macher reported on 18 October and was assigned to
the AAA Battalion at Pusan.
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing was thus better sup-
plied with chaplains than at any previous time. Its
complement was actually six, but having to cover the
AAA Battalion (which had no chaplain allowance)
and the Service Squadron at Itami (which ordinarily
might have been expected to be with the Wing head-
quarters) raised the requirements.
Concerning Itami Parker wrote on 28 October:
MWSS-1 has an average strength of 600 officers and
enlisted men permanently attached and in addition is the
— 156
unit through which all replacement and rotation personnel
are processed. Itami Air Force Base is also the facility used
as a meritorious rest and recreation center for personnel of
the First Marine Aircraft Wing. Approximately 65 officers
and 385 enlisted men from units in Korea are temporarily
attached at all times in addition to the regular complement.
In view of these factors it is highly desirable that proper
religious guidance be available. The situation is aggravated
by problems involving relationships with Japanese women.
Since the Air Force chaplain aboard was also a Prot-
estant, Roman Catholic ministrations continued to be
furnished by American missionary priests.
Relief Work
With the Wing headquarters now located near Po-
hang, Chaplain Parker took an active hand in the
affairs of the Marine-supported orphanage begun
there with the help of Chaplain Cleaves. Cleaves had
joined with American Presbyterian missionary William
B. Lyon and the Pohang Presbyterian ministers to ini-
tiate the project. With money given by Air Wing
Marines some land and a few buildings were pur-
chased, a board of directors organized, and the insti-
tution incorporated in the name of the Presbyterian
holding body as the Marine Memorial Orphanage.
After a few months 50 children were being cared for.
The directors were soon faced with a choice be-
tween seemingly endless expansion on a day-to-day
basis or an attempt to make the home self-sustaining
while caring for fewer children. The solution was
a compromise: limited expansion little by little, and
at the same time the purchase of productive rice land.
Less than a year after its start, the orphanage owned
over 2,000 pyong (a plot 6 feet square) of rice land.
On one occasion, as he presented the latest Marine
contribution — four and a half million won ($750) —
Chaplain Parker commented, "Much of the food on
which orphans will live this winter will be harvested
by the older children off their own paddies. By this
time next year, if donations do not fall off, there will
be enough rice to feed them all year and perhaps
some left over to market."
MAG 12 moved to Pyongtaek, on the west coast,
some 250 miles from the Wing headquarters and
MAG 33. There Chaplain E. R. Weidler was instru-
mental in establishing a new orphanage. In his reply
to the Corps historian's questionnaire of March 1954
he noted that before the home was set up, children
had been living in caves and trenches. He added
that Commander Lederer had contributed $550 from
what he had received for the story he had written
about the work of MAG 12 with Korean orphans.
Three chaplains of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
were cited during the period under review, one re-
ceiving the Bronze Star and two, Letters of Commen-
dation. Chaplain Edward M. Lynch was awarded
the Bronze Star for service from 9 April to 15 August
Marine Memorial Orphanage.
Gifts of clothing, shoes, and dishes are left by the wing chaplain for the orphans.
157
Visit to Buddhist Temple.
Chaplain Stephen G. Horvath talks to a Buddhist priest at a Korean temple a few miles from a forward airbase of the
1st MAW.
1952; his citation mentions his faithfulness in minis-
tering to the spiritual needs of his men and cites his
outstanding work with the orphanages in the Pohang
vicinity. "A diligent and tireless worker, he traveled
regularly to hold services and consultations with men
stationed at a remote camp."
Chaplain Stephen G. Horvath's Letter of Com-
mendation, covering the period 19 July 1951 to 18
June 1952, noted that "his excellent cooperation with
chaplains of other faiths was such as to gain him re-
spect and popularity." The chaplain was commended
also for work with orphanages at Pusan, Kangnung,
and Pohang; he had raised over a thousand dollars
for the Roman Catholic orphanage in the latter place.
The Letter of Commendation awarded Chaplain
Edward R. Weidler for service from 22 August 1951
to 19 May 1952 singled out for special praise his work
with Korean civilians, including North Koreans "who
were enduring the hardships of a severe winter with
inadequate means of subsistence." The citation
concluded :
Lieutenant Weidler's activities throughout were completely
dedicated to the humanitarian principles embodied in the
precepts of Christianity and in the Charter of the United
Nations and were in keeping with the highest traditions of
the United States Naval Service.
Chaplain Parker was cited by the Republic of Ko-
rea. This citation in part reads,
Despite the tremendous hardships Chaplain Parker de-
voted much of his time to organizing specific aid projects
and allocating the vitally needed relief goods for those "lost
children." The sympathetic concern exhibited through the
establishment of an orphanage at Pohang on May 10, 1952,
for alleviating the suffering orphans confronted with the
threat of disease, starvation, and exposure has made sub-
stantial contribution to our relief works and has materially
raised the standards of care in the institution.
— 158 —
USS HAVEN
In addition to these individual awards, the hospital
ship HAVEN, which has figured in our account on
several occasions, received the Presidential Unit Cita-
tion of the Republic of Korea for distinguished serv-
ice from 18 October 1950 to 25 June 1952. Chap-
lains serving in the HAVEN during those dates were
the following:
Paul K. Potter METH September 1950-Decembcr
1951
John J. Reardon . RC September 1950-September
1951
Edwin R. Howard. . CONG December 1951-October
1952
Francis J. Klass . .. . RC October 1951-December
1952
Perspective on Korea
At the invitation of the Chiefs of Chaplains of the
Army, Navy, and Air Force the Reverend Dr. Joseph
R. Sizoo, professor of religion, George Washington
University, and formerly minister of St. Nicholas Col-
legiate Church, New York and dean of the New
Brunswick Theological Seminary, made a month's
visit to Japan and Korea in October 1952. He held
conferences with line and staff officers and with chap-
lains, met the troops and talked with them and in
other ways attempted to study American involvement
in the Far East that he might help the churches in-
terpret it back home.
The following lengthy quotations are from a digest
of the address that he gave to denominational repre-
sentatives at the General Commission on Chaplains
"Chaplains' Memorial Building" in Washington soon
after his return.
What I saw and heard has deeply moved me. I'm not
here as a lecturer reciting a travelogue. I'm here as a min-
ister to read you a footnote to the "Acts of the Apostles."
There is much we shall have to learn and unlearn. I
learned that this is no "phony war." I had to unlearn that
this is just a regrettable, unfortunate minor holding opera-
tion which we had to go through with until, sooner or later,
when they got around to it, the political leaders of the world
would declare peace on earth, good will toward men.
That's not true. It's war! I was in an area where there
were 1,200 casualties in 1 day. I talked to a general who
had just come down from a hilltop where they had counted
2,000 enemy dead. I've been on the side of a ridge when a
helicopter came down out of nowhere and men strapped the
wounded in baskets on both sides and flew them back to the
hospital. I've been in a hospital where there were 1,500 of
our wounded men. When you have 125,000 casualties in
our ranks and over a million casualties in the enemy's, you
can hardly speak of a minor holding operation
You get a feeling that our men are embittered. After all,
so much of what is happening should not have happened,
could have been otherwise. The truce talks have left them
bitter. We kept our word and didn't build up our army ex-
cept to provide replacements for those who returned. The
enemy built up an army of one million who've had military
training for a whole year. What's more, these million men
have had a year to be indoctrinated. The old army was
often glad of the chance to surrender. That's no longer
true. There were on one occasion, when I was there, some-
thing like 1,800 casualties of the enemy — and we took only
8 prisoners.
Although this is a war that is grim and cruel and costly,
our army is an army of peace, and our soldiers are men of
compassion.
To understand this you really have to see Korea: The
most tormented country you can possibly imagine. Twenty-
two million people go to bed hungry every night. Since
I've been back, sometimes I think of it and I can't swal-
low. . . . General Van Fleet told me the day that I saw him
that we were feeding that day 2 million Koreans to keep
them alive. There are three scourges in Korea today:
tuberculosis and cholera and smallpox. Our doctors and
medical corps, when they are through with their chores, will
go out to some nearby village and they'll vaccinate 700.
They'll build little hospitals.
I've seen what the enemy did to Korea. But our men are
not plunderers. Our men are helpers. They are not de-
stroyers, they really are saviors.
I preached in a chapel one Sunday morning with a hand-
ful of men. The chaplain told me they were accustomed to
take up a voluntary collection and send it to some Korean
enterprise. For many months at the end of a month they had
sent a check for $500. Just a handful of men! I was with a
certain Corps where they took up a collection of $84,000
for the hospitalization of Korean refugee children.
You can't explain our army and you can't explain its ex-
pression of compassion without talking about the chaplain.
After all, because he is what he is, that army is what it is.
I've met with chaplains in groups. I've walked with them,
slept with them, eaten with them, prayed with them; and
I've come to know them as men. They are a very superior
corps.
One thing which impressed me was the way the Protestant
and Catholic and Jewish chaplains worked together, with a
great sense of comradeship of the Spirit.
Now I want to make a few observations about these
chaplains:
1. They preach what is central in our religion and they
stick to it. They do not indulge in trivialities. They do
not take the thing that is in the center and push it beyond
the circumference or take the thing that lies on the circum-
ference and put it in the center.
2. These chaplains practice what they preach. They live
it. They don't give men an argument; they give them the
example of a Christ-filled life. I have never . . . seen
anywhere a more completely dedicated group of men.
3. These chaplains have quickened the sense of compas-
sion. They keep alive in our troops a concern for the people
in whose land they are fighting. Wherever you go in Korea,
— 159
if you see a little hospital or clinic or asylum, you just know
there's a chaplain behind it.
4. These chaplains are true missionaries of the Christian
faith. . . . The great missionary enterprise in East Asia is
being carried out by our chaplains, and I hope that the mis-
sionary world will capture something of their imagination.
5. These chaplains are going to be the leaders of the
church of tomorrow. Some day the soldiers are coming
back with their frustrations and bewilderment and embitter-
mint, and they are going to ask some uncomfortable ques-
tions. They will say to us, "Brother, where were you when
we were in Korea?" But when the chaplain stands there
with them, they will believe him and follow him."
Stalemate
The Department of Defense would later designate
30 November 1952 as the end of the 8th Korean
Campaign. The date itself meant next to nothing.
The front lines remained substantially where they had
been at the beginning of the campaign. The peace
talks continued, but an impasse seemed to have been
reached on the issue of involuntary repatriation of
prisoners of war. The end for which the United
Nations had gone to Korea — to counter Communist
aggression and to bring peace as quickly and perma-
nently as possible to that devastated land — remained
after twenty-nine months unaltered but unaccom-
plished. Men continued their monotonous vigils in
outposts and bunkers, and occasional outbursts of vio-
lence added to the already long roster of the wounded
and dead.1' And now the raw winds began to sweep
down from the North, bringing the first snows of
winter. Na\y chaplains, ministers of the peace of
God, prepared themselves and their fellow-country-
men to celebrate a third Korean Christmas.
The Corps
Thus far in the Korean War another splendid
chapter had been written in the annals of the Navy
Chaplain Corps. By 1952 some 800 regular and re-
serve chaplains were on active duty, approximately 1 30
of these assigned duty at Marine stations and with
Fleet Marine Force units. From 30 to 35 chaplains
were on duty with Marines in Korea, and others serv-
ing in ships or stations in the Far East area. Though
new conditions frequently demanded unusual initia-
tive and flexibility in the performance of duty, the
mission of the Corps remained the same : to protect,
encourage, and train personnel of the naval establish-
ment in the realization and development of mora! and
spiritual values consistent with the religious beliefs
of the individual concerned.
Unfortunately the number of chaplains available
was not sufficient to enable the Bureau of Naval Per-
sonnel to fill all billets.
"The Chaplain, vol. 10. No. 3 (June 1953)
"Total United States casualties through 24 October 1952
were 123,395, of which the Navy had suffered 1,679, the
Marine Corps 23,193. There had been 21,471 deaths;
91,260 personnel had been wounded: and there were 12,868
missing. The Marines alone had suffered 20,218 wounded
and 2,928 dead [Britannica Book of the Year, 1953; article,
"Korean War").
— 160-
CHAPTER NINE
THIRD KOREAN WINTER
1 December 1952-30 April 1953
Once again winter descended upon Korea and with
it an accompanying decline in military activity. For
over a year the conflict had been in a state of stale-
mate. During this period both sides had so reinforced
their positions that they could be captured only at
great cost to the attacker.
On 5 December President-elect Dwight D. Eisen-
hower left to visit the forces in Korea. A number
of other visitors were to pay a call upon the military
forces before the New Year.
The truce talks had been indefinitely suspended in
October and many men looked quizzically at the beam
of the searchlight at night and the balloons at day
which marked the location of Panmunjom, the site
of the negotiations. They were wondering "when
will it all end?"
Naval action was confined to minesweeping, block-
ade escort duty, carrier strikes, surface and aerial pa-
trols in the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Korean
straits and the coastal waters of Formosa. As early
as October the "Cherokee" plan was developed, which
was defined as a plan "to destroy enemy's logistics at
the battle line." l A number of sorties just behind
enemy lines were made by the planes of KE ARSARGE,
PRINCETON, and ESSEX. These were referred to
by pilots as hot strikes because of the amount of flak
which was encountered on these missions.
November 18 marked the first encounter with Rus-
sian MIGs. The three American pilots who partici-
pated in this engagement were interviewed by Eisen-
hower during his December visit.
January saw a few meetings between liaison officers
at Panmunjom. February marked an upsurge in the
Cherokee strikes. The following month, March, was
the one well remembered by Marine chaplains. On
the 5th Stalin died ; the month also saw riots by die-
hard Communists, this time on Yongcho and Koje
Islands, but it was the activity on the front held by
Cagle and Manson, op. cit., p. 462.
the 1st Division which the Marines remembered best.
On the 26th a sector of the I Corps was under attack
and lost ground. This attack included the battles of
HOOK, VEGAS, RENO, and CARSON. By launch-
ing a strong counterattack the Marines in this sector
were able to regain their positions.
April brought a more hopeful outlook at Panmun-
jom. On the 6th talks began which led to an agree-
ment on the 11th to what was called "Operation
Little Switch." This operation consisted of the ex-
change of prisoners which occurred on the 20th when
6,670 Communist personnel and 684 UN prisoners
were exchanged. Of the latter 149 were U.S. person-
nel. Finally, after a suspension of 199 days, the ar-
mistice negotiations were resumed.
1st Marine Division
Chaplain Lonnie W. Meachum reported as the Di-
vision Chaplain of the 1st Marine Division on 10
December. Chaplain Slattery wrote to the Chief of
Chaplains on the 17th indicating that a painting of
Christ is to be presented to General Pollock for his
promotion of chaplains' activities. In this same letter
he mentions that Billy Graham is expected to preach
at a pre-Christmas Service on Monday the 22d, and
that Cardinal Spellman is to celebrate Mass on Christ-
mas. Chaplain Meachum's reaction to his new duty
assignment is revealed in his letter of the 30th to the
Chief of Chaplains in which he says in part,
This has been a madhouse since the day I arrived. Chap-
lain Slattery said that the pace is normal procedure.
The office is like 42d and Broadway with "visiting fire-
men" from UN outfits, our own chaplains, and VIPs from
the States. It seems that everyone coming to Korea wants
to visit the Marines.
We had Billy Graham on 23 December. About 1,000 Ma-
rines gathered to hear him. Approximately 200 stood when
he challenged them to rededicate and consecrate their lives
to Christ. At first the General was not going to stay for his
sermon, but upon meeting him he (the General) was
charmed with Graham's personality. General Pollock was
— 161
Christmas Visitor.
Billy Graham chats with Maj. Gen.
Edwin A. Pollock, commanding
general of the 1st Marine Division
during Graham's visit to Korea
during the Christmas season, 1952.
New Chapel.
A new chapel is erected near Wosan-
ri by the 1st Engineer Battalion to
which Chaplain Karl H. Ernest is
assigned. The chapel was dedi-
cated 4 January 1953 with General
Pollock and Chaplain Meachum
participating in the service.
Mural.
This painting is the work of artist,
Sgt. Russell Vickers, and was given
to the 1st Engineer Battalion
Chapel where it was placed over
the altar.
Chaplains.
General Pollock has his picture taken with the chaplains of
his division. The photograph was taken 19 December
1952 at Yongji-ri.
The Predecessor.
Here is pictured the chapel formerly used by the 1st Engi-
neering Battalion. Note the stacks which indicate the
presence of an underground heating system fashioned after
the Koreans.
— 162 —
Stateside Christmas Gifts.
Children of St. Paul Orphanage receive Christmas gifts sent from the States and delivered by the 2d Battalion. 1st Marines.
Their chaplain, Gerald E. Kuhn, is seen on the right holding one of the orphans.
^^
Chaplains' Conference.
The chaplains gather for a conference at the 1st Marine Division Command Post. In the front row (from left to right)
are Chaplains A. W. Boyer; E. A. Wolfram, Jr.; Oscar Weber; R. F. Barlik ; J. T. Callahan; (in the second row: ) N. L
McDowell; J. C. Brown, Jr.; B. N. Wolfe; R. Siegel ; C. E. Elliott, Jr.; P. Adams; (in the third row; ) A. F. Mendonsa;
W. P. Lane; A. D. Prickett; E. A. Slattery; W. D. McCabe; R. H. Willets; V. J. Lustig: B. J. Nowakowski : (last row)
E. S. Jones; F. J. Forney; G. W. Herrick : A. W. Robertson; L A. Guillaume; C. T. Duggan; H C. Bowling, Jr.: and
J. H. Muller.
.-,:«:«■.• o— 60-
163
one of those who stood to rededicate himself. We would
have had more to attend if I Corps had not changed the day
and hour at the last minute. We were told at first that
he would be here on the 22d.
Cardinal Spellman's Mass was at 0830 on Christmas Day.
About 2,000 attended. He preached a fine sermon and
shook hands with about 1,000 men. Strumski developed a
good choir for the Mass.
Our own services were "out of this world" on Christmas.
One's limit in Spiritual Ministry here is his physical stamina.
I preached six times the first Sunday. However, I am ar-
ranging for church parties to come in to headquarters so I
can visit more. For instance, I have been to one chapel
dedication and General Pollock and I are to go to another ''
next Sunday.
Chaplain Slattery came to my candlelight service and I
went to his Mass. I accused him of stealing my "thunder"
in bis sermon. Then Spellman stole from both of us.
Ed was a very popular Division chaplain. He received the
Legion of Merit on Christmas night. He left on Saturday
with tears in his eyes and joy in his heart.
Chaplain Slattery's Legion of Merit was awarded
by General Pollock. The citation reads in part as
follows :
Commander Slattery displayed outstanding ability and
foresight in caring for the spiritual welfare of all the Ma-
rines in the division. An understanding, capable, wise, and
persevering leader, he organized his section in such a man-
ner that spiritual services and guidance were always avail-
able. Frequently making journeys throughout the division,
in the most adverse weather and terrain conditions, he ex-
pressed little concern for his personal welfare in order that
all the Marines might receive the opportunity to attend serv-
ices of their own particular faith. Commander Slattery's
perseverance, friendly manner and selfless devotion to the
men he served were an inspiration to all who observed him.
His skilled service and exemplary conduct throughout this
period were in keeping with the highest traditions of the
U.S. Naval Service.
Combat "V" was authorized.
With the approach of Christmas other Marine
chaplains were busy with holiday projects. Chaplain
G. E. Kuhn worked with the 2d Battalion, 1st Ma-
rines, in distributing gifts sent by the Telephone Em-
ployee's Volunteer Service of San Francisco. Visits
were paid to orphanages operated by the Yong Nok
Presbyterian Church and the Sisters of St. Paul. Once
again children were happy because Marines had
played Santa Claus.
Another such project was described by Chaplain
Thos. Allen Newman of the 2d Battalion, 7th Ma-
rines. Because of the scarcity of material a small
Santa Claus suit was constructed. "Toys were a
must, for children had to have toys at Christmas . . .
The supply system of a Marine battalion does not have
! Chapel for 1st Engineering Battalion.
such items in stock so many Marines were enlisted in
the search for candy and toys. Where all the mate-
rials and toys came from is a mystery left unsolved."
Forty foster fathers were selected from the Marines.
Children were found in a refugee village. In fact
there were over a thousand there. The ones doing
best in school were selected. The mess hall was dec-
orated with real trees. Christmas cards were on each
table with plenty of candy for the children.
At the appointed time a tuck picked up its colorful and
unusual cargo. The children, ranging in age from 8 to 1 1
but looking much younger, were dressed in bright Korean
costumes and as they traveled along they sang Korean songs
for their escorts. Their arri'a! was eagerly awaited by all
who wanted "a kid of his own." Bashful and a little
frightened the children climbed down from the truck into
the many pairs of outstretched Marines arms. Rivalry was
keen to get a particular child and cries of "that one is mine,"
started a small "discussion" in several cases. The foster
father secured food for the child and assisted in the cutting
and eating of it. Some children were too frightened by the
mass of men to be very hungry while others didn't care for
the food. The bolder ones ate with complete disregard for
the huge group of interested spectators. Peculiar appetites
soon became evident, for some children would eat only bread
and jam while others would only eat potatoes. One thing
that all enjoyed was the candy; no one had any trouble feed-
ing "their kid" candy. Several Marines insisted that their
charges take home vast numbers of candy bars which they
placed in the pockets and hands of the little ones. Im-
promptu singing would start in one corner of the hall and
all would stop to listen as one small girl would sing the Ko-
rean love song A Arirang; joining in all the children would
sing with her. This pleased the Marines and resulted in
loud cheers and applause.
Santa Claus was next on the program. Outside the mess
hall beside one of the Christmas trees St. Nick sat with
his bags of toys. Each child got the presents which were
intended for him or her and then with the help of the foster
father they would play with them. These were toy trains,
clowns, Santa Clauses, and dolls. The children received
gum and candy again and again as Santa Claus emptied
his bags. Several hundred onlookers crowded around the ac-
tivity taking pictures; holding the children or playing with
them. Each man wanted his picture taken with one of the
children. The 1st Marine Division Band was there to play
for the affair. Seated in the outdoor movie area with their
guardians the children listened to the American music. They
in turn sang in Korean for ill the Marines such songs as
Silent Night and other Christmas carols. The Marines, not
to be inhospitable, responds d with a loud rendition of
Jingle Bells.
As the children began to ! >t restless and tired, the signal
was given for all children to be returned to the truck. Their
hands full of candy and toys each child was tenderly lifted
up into the truck by strong hands. A count was made and
it was discovered that two children were missing. Two of
the Marines had taken their "offspring" to answer the call
of nature. Even in Korea the duties of a "parent" never
change. The farewell was very different from the welcome.
164
Now the boys and girls were happy and few were afraid.
Singing as they left, the children made their mark upon the
Christmas of a battalion of Marines; made it one they would
never forget! Santa Claus had been there that day!
Another Christmas project was that undertaken by
the chaplains of the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment,
Chaplains William P. Lane, Catholic, and Noah L.
McDowell, Southern Baptist. Through the courtesy
of Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., and the
Revere Camera Co., 5,000 recording tapes were flown
to Korea. Brief messages were recorded by thousands
of Marines and mailed to their loved ones back home.
In addition the "homefolks" could record and return
reply messages to the Marines.
Just prior to Christmas Chaplain Charles T. Dug-
gan completed his tour of duty with the 1st Division.
He was subsequently awarded a Commendation
Medal with Combat "V". The citation read in part,
During an intense barrage of enemy mortar fire, he un-
hesitatingly went to the forward area to give spiritual guid-
ance and aid the wounded. On one occasion, he voluntarily
went to a forward aid station to be with the wounded during
a period of intense enemy action.
The new roster of the 1st Division for January in-
cluded a number of new chaplains. These were
Chaplains G. E. Kuhn, Lutheran; W. Rowland, Epis-
copal; K. D. Killin, Presbyterian, USA; J. C. Moore,
Methodist; R. W. Shreffler, Presbyterian, USA; K. H.
Ernst, Presbyterian, USA; A. S. M. Kirkland, Naza-
rene; J. P. Byrnes, Catholic; R. L. Crabtree, Method-
ist; R. G. Hutcheson, Jr., Presbyterian, US; L. W.
Meachum, Southern Baptist; E. J. Kelly, Catholic;
W. H. Vinson, Southern Baptist, and J. T. Moore,
Catholic.
In a letter of the 29th Chaplain Meachum indi-
cated that another visitor was expected on the 31st,
Bishop Austin Pardue, Episcopal, from Pittsburgh.
Also things were about to happen in Washington.
After a long and fruitful period as Chief of Chaplains,
Chaplain Stanley Salisbury was turning over the helm
to Chaplain E. B. Harp, Jr. This transfer occurred
on the 1st of February. Chaplain Salisbury had had
more than 30 years of naval service. He entered the
naval chaplaincy in 1921, but he had served in World
War I as an Army chaplain. He served as Chief of
Chaplains from 1 September 1949-1 February 1953.
His new position was in the service of his denomina-
tion in a new post as chairman of a special committee
of chaplains and service personnel (Presbyterian
Church, USA).
The ninth Chief of Chaplains, Rear Adm. Edward
B. Harp, Jr., was a clergyman of the Evangelical and
Reformed Church, and came to his new position with
a wealth of naval experience, having served in a num-
ber of billets during the course of 23 years. His most
recent assignment had been Assistant for Planning in
the Chaplains Division.
To return to the 1st Division, in February Chaplain
Calvin H. Elliott was detached from the Division but
not without recognition by the Commanding General.
His citation reads in part,
During periods when the unit was engaged in extensive
combat against the enemy, he provided moral and spiritual
guidance to all men of the regiment. Expressing complete
disregard for his personal safety and comfort, he aided in the
evacuation of the wounded.
The following month saw the detachment of an-
other chaplain, Albert D. Prickett, who was awarded
the Bronze Star medal. Of the deeds of this chaplain
the following are among those listed,
Through his profound sincerity and unerring skill in the
administration of the spiritual needs of the command, he
was a constant source of inspiration and comfort. Despite
the extreme danger of enemy mortar and artillery fire, he
expressed complete disregard for his personal safety and
made repeated trips to the front lines in order to aid the
men. During one engagement, he unhesitatingly directed
armored personnel carriers loaded with wounded Marines
through impact areas to a place of safety. As a result of
his personal courage and selfless devotion, he was instru-
mental in saving the lives of several wounded Marines.
For something on the lighter side as reported by
Chaplain Homer L. Schnick, Southern Baptist, of the
1st Service Battalion, who at least on one occasion
went on a tour of the various shower units attached
to the infantry battalions, he states,
It was amusing to think about how men were required to
wear helmets and flack jackets to the showers and then take
their showers, sans everything. In connection with the
shower units, it is well to point out that the shower units in
operation near the front line positions where the men could
clean up occasionally and exchange their dirty clothes for
clean ones (even if they didn't always get the proper sizes!)
were among the best morale boosters the men had. Men
came from the muddy trenches and bunkers covered with
mud and dirt, and left clean and considerably braced up.
Sometimes rear area units may not be credited properly for
the part they had in supplying gear and services, but having
served with such a group, I believe that they deserve a pat on
the back for a job well done. From showers to bread to
ice cream (one assistant I had stated that the first meal
that he had in Korea after he got to the front lines in the
month of February 1953, he had ice cream, among other
things, for breakfast!) to shoe, tent, and flack jacket repair
the services of the 1st Service Battalion ran. Morale was not
as good in the rear areas probably because the sense of mis-
sion and glory was not as keen, but they served as did the
front line riflemen.
165 —
During its stay with the Division, Chaplain John
P. Byrnes reports that he administered the Sacra-
ments for the Army detachment at Panmunjom once
a week, and Chaplain Karl H. Ernst reports that he
never worked so hard in his life in the holding of
services. Chaplain Ernst also reports on the value of
tours to Seoul that gave his men an opportunity to
see another side of the Korean people and their
culture.
It was about this time that some consideration was
given to an extension of the period of a tour of duty
for the chaplains to 12 months instead of 10. On 26
February Chaplain Meachum wrote to the Chief of
Chaplains stating, "I am glad that you decided to
keep it at 10 months. This is tough going in the dust,
cold, heat, mud, 'incoming,' and what with one and
two services a day and all a man can stand up to on
Sunday."
A glance at the roster of February indicates the
following new chaplains, J. B. Conlon, Catholic, A. J.
Barn-, Catholic, R. E. Brengartner, Catholic, E. V.
Lyons, Presbyterian (USA), L. F. Rice, Catholic, T.
V. Edwards, Catholic, and W. H. Nordby, Lutheran.
In March the Division Chaplain indicates that there
is a concentrated effort in the promulgation of Char-
acter Education Programs underway. In a personal
letter (entered in his file) dated 20 March we also
read for the first time of retreats being set up for chap-
lains'. He writes,
All of our chaplains are invited to meet Chaplain Bennett
at I Corps Chapel on 8 April. In lieu of this trip to I Corps
we will not have our regular monthly Protestant retreat in
April.
We have had fine fellowship at these meetings since I
came. Our fellows did not pay much attention to the re-
treat before the January meeting. They do not feel that
they should leave their outfits. However, I am going to
insist that they go. We get a chance to meet the chaplains
in the Commonwealth and 2d Divisions. They secure an
outstanding missionary or native to speak in the morning and
the divisions rotate with the devotional period after lunch.
He further mentioned action on the front 18
March ; he says,
We had 89 casualties the night of the 18th, 9 KIA's with
superficial wounds accounting for the most of the others.
Our boys (CHC) are doing a wonderful job.
The battles which took place this same month
caused a number of chaplains to record their experi-
ences. One such account was entitled "On a Hill Far
Away" and was written by Chaplain Allen Newman.
Because it vividly describes a chaplain in action it is
recorded in full as follows,
I couldn't get any closer to the ground which I hugged
with all my body. The enemy mortars and artillery shells
were landing and whistling around us. How did I, the
chaplain, ever get way out here was the question I kept
asking myself? It all happened so fast! It wasn't planned
that way! The plans were for a show the next Sunday; a
choir that was to sing for Easter: a series of Lenten services.
A nice and quiet weekend. The men had been rehearsing
for the Palm Sunday variety show during the past 4 nights.
The choir just 2 nights ago had practiced for Sunday serv-
ices. Then last night in the middle of rehearsals the 30
minute alert was given to all troops of the 2d Battalion,
7th Marines. There was trouble on the lines; several out-
posts were under attack. With rapid and precisionlike move-
ment the 2d Battalion began to ready for battle.
The trucks started arriving during the night, their engines
roaring out the noise of their coming. In the darkness of
the early morning the men climbed into the trucks bound
for a destination unknown. There were no bands to cheer
them, only the voices of the platoon sergeants and officers
piercing the night with curt cries, "all right keep moving."
There was excitement in the air and anticipation made many
a heart beat faster. One company, then another, pulled out
toward the front line in the direction of the 5th Marines
sector and away from the security and peace of our reserve
camp. We had been in reserve for just 2 weeks and
expected to stay there for at least 2 more weeks but the
enemy wasn't cooperating with our plans and hopes. All
that night the sound of artillery and the light of flares re-
minded us that there was crisis ahead — a dangerous oppor-
tunity for the battalion.
With the coming of daylight the flares and artillery shells
stopped their ceaseless flow. Quiet became the early morn-
ing hour's song. I tried to take stock of all my men; to
locate all the widely scattered companies. All the companies
were still waiting the word as to what they were going to
do. The outposts Reno and Carson had fallen to the enemy
during the night. Rumors were making a rapid tour of
the companies — "Easy Company is going to take Reno
back" — "Dog Company was to help." No one knew just
what was going to happen. Easy Company was in a position
to move out at any moment. I walked among these men
that I knew and loved, talking, joking, just being with them
as they worried and wondered what was in the future for
them. I wondered too. The morning passed quickly with
Easy Company. Early in the afternoon word came that Fox
Company had been committed to recapture outpost Vegas
from the enemy. They had already started up the hill and
were in close range fighting with the enemy.
The battle was on! There were four chaplains besides
myself in the immediate vicinity. They were seeing the
wounded and dead as they came through the medical aid
stations. My men were fighting for their lives. I had to
go with them. And there I was in the advanced Fox Com-
pany OP. which was set up in a gully at the closest tip
of Vegas. It was 1630 on Friday, 27 March when I got
out there. I had gone out with a platoon of Weapons
Company men who had been organized into stretcher teams
and supply carriers. We were waiting for darkness to come
so that we could remove the many wounded men who were
still up on the hillsides. It was too hazardous to attempt
relief during the daylight hours. Bad news travels fast and
— 166
Christmas Day on the Front.
Chaplain Allen Newman offers a prayer for all fighting marines at Christmas Day services at the front.
I was told that one of the men who was a soloist in the
variety show and was to sing for Easter services had been
killed early in the fighting. His name was Matthews, Sgt.
Daniel P. Matthews. That was the first of much sad news
that came to me. The battle was more personal than before.
Since there was nothing I could do but wait for darkness.
I began to make the rounds of the men who were crouch-
ing in the gully. There were men from the 5th Marines
waiting to help remove the wounded to the main line of
resistance. I talked to as many of the men as possible in
between the enemy mortar barrages. During one heavy at-
tack a cry went out behind me, "Help me I'm hit." And
the word "corpsman" echoed from man to man in the
gully. The man just a few feet in front of me was moaning.
A piece of an enemy shell had hit him in the head. Rapidly
the corpsman, James McCrabe HM!I. and I dressed his
wound. Quickly we placed him on a stretcher and started
across the rice paddies that separated Vegas from the
friendly lines. I had known this particular man for several
months as he had often attended church services. He was
afraid that something like this would happen to him — and
it did. As fast as was possible we rushed him to the doctor,
but in spite of using eight men and the speediest route, he
soon gave up the fight for his life. More and more of my
men were coming back that way.
With darkness came the wounded, carried by their buddies
who stumbled in the darkness. Eager hands reached down
to pick up stretchers for the long and wearisome trip back
to the lines. Names were called out, "Smith! Wooten!
Ward!'' as attempt was made to find out who was on the
stretcher. Strong and then sometimes feeble voices answered
back, "I'm all right, one of my buddies is still out there;
take care of him first." I could hardly recognize any of
the forms or faces as men I had known before and yet they
were the same men who had climbed into the trucks just
a few hours ago. They were surprised to hear my voice.
The word was soon passed that the chaplain was "out here."
A few asked me in weak voices to write their mothers.
Others were too far gone to say anything. One boy who
had his chin hanging far below its normal place needed
167
another bandage, and as I placed a new battle dressing on
his damaged chin, he kept saying he was O.K. I hadn't
even recognized his face at all. No tears were shed by
those whose bodies ached with pain; no words of self-pity
or complaints were said that night.
The long trains of men carrying stretchers — four men
carrying one wounded began the many journeys that were
to continue during the night. Back and forth went Marines
and Koreans carrying supplies out to Vegas and the dead
and wounded back in again. Word was passed that there
were 16 seriously wounded up in the lowest trench line.
A group of stretcher bearers, enough to carry back 12
wounded, under the leadership of Sergeant Schrum started
out to make this journey. I went with them to help and
encourage the tired and weary men. We traveled the three
or four hundred yards to the place where the men were
waiting. There in a shallow trench were the men who had
been waiting for hours for us to come and get them. They
were all seriously wounded. We had to decide which ones
we could take and which ones would be left until the next
trip. A decision like that might mean the difference between
life and death for some of them. There was never a word
or outcry from any as we quickly and painfully lifted them
onto the stretchers we had carried out. Broken legs, miss-
ing legs, torn bodies, dirty wounds, all were common to
those who depended upon our skill and judgment for some
chance to live. Those who had cared for them told us that
there were six more seriously wounded farther up the trench
line. We had to leave some so we picked the ones we
thought needed to get back quickest. One after another
the stretcher teams of four would leave with their burden
and start the hazardous and difficult journey through dark-
ness to life and safety. I left with the last team. Our
stretcher was a broken one so that delayed us until we could
find another out there on the hill. By that time all of the
other teams had disappeared into the night and we had to
find our way alone. We lost our way once, but soon found
the gully where the other teams were waiting to make the
last leg of the trip.
Fox Company made one mere assault on the outpost early
Saturday morning. They refused to allow anyone to leave
the lines during the attack to go to Vegas so I decided I
had better see what had happened to Easy and Dog Com-
panies. Finding that they were not committed to action,
I returned to the Battalion Command Post to eat and wash.
Early Saturday afternoon Dog Company started out to Vegas
to assist in the fighting. Enemy artillery caught them in
one of the valleys beside Vegas and they sustained 40
casualties. Returning to the lines again Dog Company
brought back the dead and wounded. The men worked
frantically to bind up the injuries and evacuate the casual-
ties. It all came so quickly and was such a surprise that
most of the men still didn't realize what had happened. I
walked around the group of dazed men who still remained
in Dog Company talking to most of them. Many were in
a state of shock or stunned by the sudden attack which
struck them. It took several hours to clear the wounded
and take them to the field hospitals. Once again an ache
was in my heart and a wound in the side of the battalion.
Night brought sleep for me and a few other fortunate
men who did not or could not stand a watch that night.
The first rays of sunshine brought Palm Sunday to Korea.
As I climbed Vegas hill to see the men of Easy Company I
thought, "What a different Sunday this was than the one
that had been planned." No human choir was to sing for
my men that day, only the chorus of enemy shells singing
around them. No sermon telling of Jesus' entry into Jeru-
salem filled their hearts. But they were to feel the eternal
Presence of God as they crouched in the trenches or hid in
their rabbit holes for hours during the nights and days ahead.
No one had to ask them to pray. They did it naturally as
a man would cry out for help if he were helpless. Easy
Company that Palm Sunday morning was digging into the
debris-filled mountain top. The sun was warm and kindly
Chaplain Gives Lecture.
Chaplain Matthew J. Strumski delivers an educational lecture on character to rrarines in Korea.
168-
Preparation for Vegas.
Chaplain James Kelly prays with marines from the 2d Battalion, 7th Regiment as they stand by to move out to hit the enemy.
to those who still felt and saw its radiance. There were
those men who had grown cold with death and now only
felt the warmth of heavenly sunshine. We began the slow
and difficult task of bringing the dead down from the top
trenches. Every man in the trench would help as the
stretcher was carried down the trench line. In the trench
I saw faces I had known before — men of Easy Company —
tired, dirty, afraid, and heart-sick from the loss of friends
and buddies. When 1030 came I thought of the church
service that I should be conducting back in the reserve area
for the 3d Battalion, 7th Marines. These men on Vegas
needed the reassurance that God hadn't forsaken them. They
needed so much that only God could give.
Sunday morning and part of che afternoon we searched the
hillsides of Vegas looking for the dead who had been left
behind in the excitement of the fighting. I collected men
who were not busy fighting wherever I could find them and
formed them into stretcher earns. My friend Sergeant
Matthews was still lying out tf ere somewhere and I wanted
to bring him back again. We failed to find any trace of his
body. More than a week lat< r he was found and recom-
mended for the Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds. We
found other men, broken bodj»s sprawled behind bushes in
hideous ways hardly recognizab e as men we had once known.
Since we were under enemy observation, we worked rapidly
and in small teams of four. The hill having been cleaned
of its burden of human flesh as far as we could go, our sad
procession started in with our heavy loads. Once again the
church music was lacking — only the voices of tired men
calling out commands or cheering each other on. What an
entry was being made by these men who had found the
eternal peace that they had fought to gain. If only the
world could see the sorrow in this scene!
The light melted into another period of darkness again
and with the night came increased enemy activity. Death
and injury once again touched the hilltop of Vegas. It was
late that night before I found my way out to the hill.
Stretcher teams were going back and forth between the hill
and the wire which marked the main line and safety. Most
of the Marines were exhausted from the days without sleep
and the emotional strain of the battle. Finally an opportu-
nity to help presented itself — they needed someone to show a
group of 48 Korean stretcher bearers the way to Vegas.
One Marine thought he knew but wasn't certain. Quietly I
offered him my services and stepped in front of the long line
of men to start the journey out to pick up 1 2 wounded Ma-
rines. The Marine asked me where my weapon was : my
comment was, "I have none.' He said no more but still
169-
didn't realize that I was a chaplain. I didn't disclose my
identity since he might be embarrassed to let a chaplain lead
him out to Vegas. We crossed the rice paddy which divided
the outpost Vegas from the check point and friendly forces.
Breaking the group into two equal parts, I instructed the
second half of men to come up Vegas hill after the first
group had reached the top and had started down with their
cargos. Flares lighted the area around the outpost so that it
seemed like daylight. It was easy to find the trail which
led to our goal. The men followed with silent steps. Upon
reaching the trench line of Vegas the wounded and dead
were quickly placed on stretchers and started toward the
main lines. There was no need to tell the Koreans to hurry;
they moved as fast as they could. Occasionally enemy mor-
tars reminded us that it was unhealthy to spend much time
there unprotected by any trench or cover. "Doc" Minter,
the corpsman, moved through the trench line calling out,
"any wounded up there; anyone who needs a doctor?" The
word went from tired and trembling lips to all who could
still hear and understand. There was one Marine who
crawled down the trench line, dazed and quiet. He was
suffering from concussion. We told him to follow the
stretcher which contained a wounded Marine. Back to the
peace and safety of the aid station started the small groups
of four carrying their precious burdens away from the mess
and chaos of that hill.
Most of the men had to remain on Vegas. They were
held in fixed positions by duty and valor. Their only ques-
tion was, "when do you think we'll get off this hill?" They
had a job to do, but they still wanted to taste the fruits of
victory. They wanted to live just as I wanted to live. That
was the last time I walked up Vegas hill where the "valley
of the shadow of death" was a reality to all who passed by.
What heroes were left out there the world will never know.
When the next afternoon brought relief to Easy Company
the men returned to camp without a complaint, too tired
and weary to act like the returning conquerors that they
were.
That night after showers and the first warm food for days
the men began to talk in small groups gathered together in
their tents. As I moved from tent to tent I could hear the
retelling of a hero's deed, or softly the mentioning of a
buddy's name and then the deep silence that comes when
death has passed that way. Empty cots and empty hearts
were silent reminders of friends who had gone their way.
Lives were changed [in] those past few days. God had made
His Presence felt to men who never felt they needed Him
before. A trench became for some the stepping stone to
heaven while to others it was the beginning of a new life
with God. None were ashamed to admit their need of
God — none held back a word of praise about Him.
In one group a reporter was gathering details for a story.
He was going to tell the world about Vegas. Man after man
gave him bits of battle news; told of friends who were brave
and true. With eager and professional hands the reporter
recorded dates, times, and facts in his notebook. Later he
would weave into words the meaning of their actions. How-
ever, no written or spoken word could ever tell the thoughts
of men who had fought and won a battle for an unknown
outpost. How could anyone explain what was in their
souls; these men who had seen the agony and pain of
friends whose lives were touched by war? These men who
had lived in the hands of God "on a hill far away . . .?"
God alone was the recorder of their lives.
Chaplain Newman was awarded a Silver Star for his
part in the engagement from 26-27 March. His
citation reads as follows and includes the fact that he
courageously gave up his armored jacket, which was
a very scarce item.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against
the enemy while serving with a Marine infantry battalion in
Korea on 26-27 March 1953. Serving as a chaplain, Lieu-
tenant (jg.) Newman displayed outstanding courage, initia-
tive, and devotion to duty. During the assaults on vital
enemy held outpost positions, he continuously exposed him-
self to devastating enemy mortar and artillery in order to
assist the stretcher bearers and comfort the wounded. Ex-
pressing complete disregard for his personal safety, he
courageously gave his armored vest to a Marine whose vest
was unfit for wear and for the remainder of the 2-day period
he went without this added protection in an area interdicted
by hostile fire* During the reorganization phase when the
enemy was only fifty to one hundred yards away, he fear-
lessly walked about the trench line offering words of en-
couragement and spiritual guidance to the men. His pres-
ence was a distinct comfort to the men and contributed in
great measure to the maintenance of spirit and high devotion
to duty among them. Lieutenant (jg. ) Newman's out-
standing actions and indomitable spirit served as an inspira-
tion to all who observed him and were in keeping with the
highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Chaplain Newman described the activity of a chap-
lain on the line. He said,
When the battalion is on the line, he trudges the ridgelines
to hold services with a different company every day. He
writes to the family of every new man who joins the battal-
ion, regardless of faith.
He keeps a note pad full of requests to purchase things
for the man when he goes to Seoul twice a month. He goes
down with a jeep and trailer loaded with candy, clothing,
and other supplies for orphans.
He comes back loaded with candles, radio tubes, gasoline
lanterns and anything else his men have requested. Some
of this he can get from the Army post exchange.
Chaplain Newman's devotion to his men and the
Marine Corps is demonstrated by the occasion of the
birthday of the Marine Corps. One is told that Chap-
lain Newman
. . . managed a cake and took off, unarmed and on foot,
along a trail leading to the most extended outpost of the
battalion.
Shells were landing on the position when Newman jumped
into the main bunker with the cake. The handful of men
holding the lonely post were cheered for days by his act.
Chaplain Nordby gives a general picture of the area
occupied by the Division at this time,
1 The italics are the historian's.
— 170-
A chaplain recalled to duty from his civilian parish finds
that there is little here in Korea to remind him of the vast
sweep and scope of the fast moving actions of World War
II days. The front lines facing no-man's land extend for
miles up and down hills, winding like the Great Wall of
China across rolling terrain, rice paddies and great jagged
peaks. The men live in sand bagged bunkers; two. three,
and four to a bunker. The architecture and innovations in
these dwellings depend upon the ingenuity of the occupants —
and the American young men have never lacked in original-
ity and imagination. Some of the bunkers are veritable bear
traps and pitfalls of gadgets, latches, stoves, collapsible
bunks, pinup pictures and the ever present supply of C-ration
cans mixed with a ready stock of hand grenades. Prac-
tically all bunkers have some type of stove for heating and
coffee making. In most cases one hot meal a day is carried
up to the lines or troops are brought down in reliefs to ad-
vance mess tents.
The chaplain finds that his congregation on the line does
not lead a safe and comfortable life. These men are harassed
by rats and insects to say nothing of mud or the reddish
colored Korean dirt. In spite of all this the morale of the
troops on the front lines is the best in the service. It is
here that one enjoys that peculiar feeling only experienced,
unfortunately on the field of battle: the feeling that everyone
is concerned with taking care of the other person. Such
great passages as "Greater love, hath no man than this:
that he lay down his life for a friend." becomes a beautiful
common experience. Marines will not be stopped from go-
ing out under fire to get a buddy. None complain if they
have to carry a friend a great distance to the forward aid
bunker.
As for the battle actions, they are usually localized strug-
gles involving squads, platoons and companies, sometimes
battalions. However, the size of the units fighting is not a
measure of their bitterness as far as the individual is con-
cerned. The actions that carry up steep, 60° slopes in face
of artillery and mortar fire and the desperate last stands of
small units on outposts are as grim in their ways as any-
thing the Marines witnessed on Guadalcanal. Tarawa, or
Saipan. Many of the actions consist of night patrols and
ambushes well forward of the lines, fought out in the dark
at conversational range with both sides making desperate
attempts to capture prisoners. Then again there are the
quiet periods of waiting, listening, but little action for days
or weeks at a time, and then it may break wide open.
Chaplain James C. Moore. Methodist, describes his
experiences in the Reno and Vegas operations by
saying,
The Chinese began an assault on these positions just at
dusk, preceded by a tremendous artillery and mortar barrage
which was to be numbered in the thousands of rounds. Such
an assault meant casualties, so the chaplains gathered in the
aid station at 1st Battalion.
The first casualties were already there, having been hit in
the battalion command post itself. Shells were still coming
in intermittently, so each man had his eye on the nearest
hole. The wounded were taken care of, put on ambulances,
and sent back to the medical companies in the rear. The
doctors, the corpsmen, and the chaplains, settled down in
foxholes to wait for the first load of casualties to come from
the line. Everyone knew that the night would not be used
for sleeping.
Those waiting at battalion aid pieced together what news
they had. Outpost Reno had been overrun, and all the
men on it were lost — Vegas had been taken — all the men
were lost or captured — "Fox" company, from the 2d Battal-
ion, was going out to Reno — the outposts must be retaken —
there were many casualties. And so they waited.
The first wounded from the line came in. Bodies torn
and bleeding — minds shaken from the incessant pounding
they had received. The doctors worked quickly — putting
on bandages — giving life-saving albumin — directing the
corpsmen. The chaplains knelt over the men. The priest
heard confessions and gave absolution — the Protestant chap-
lains prayed with them — all trying to comfort men whose
bodies were suffering.
And the casualties continued to come.
Some of the men had no wounds on their bodies, their
tags having only one word — "concussion." These men were
wounded in their minds. They needed rest and sleep to wipe
away the shock which had numbed their minds to reality.
Some were shaking uncontrollably — some muttered words
without meaning — but most just sat and stared — their eyes
blank — seeing nothing.
The doctors asked the chaplains to take care of the men
suffering from concussion, for the seriously wounded were
demanding all their attention and skill. Then, the chap-
lains began a process which became all too familiar in the
days which followed. The less serious cases were led away
to places where they could sleep; the more serious were
taken to one side and held for the doctor's examination when
the rush slackened. The human mind can take great pres-
sures, up to a certain point, and these men had passed that
point.
On the outposts, the fighting continued; while in the rear
areas, all efforts were turned towards assembling enough
men and material to drive the Chinese from our old positions.
The coming of day brought to light many things. The
supply tent near battalion aid, had received a direct hit
from an enemy shell, but of all the medical supplies stored
there, only a bottle of poison ivy lotion was broken. Around
the aid station was the evidence always left by the wounded ;
blood-soaked clothing — torn and muddy — gaping helmets —
empty boots, all bearing the individual imprint of their for-
mer owners.
The Marines began to send more men out to Vegas, so the
chaplains had another task to perform. They hurried to the
areas where the men disembarked from trucks, before be-
ginning the long trek out to the hill. There, if time allowed,
short services were held, and at the very least the Navy
padres had prayer with the men. Whatever hour the men
went out, the chaplains tried to be there — from early in the
morning, until late at night.
One day ran into another, the fight went on without let
up. All through the days and nights, the wounded con-
tinued to pour in. Men became groggy from lack of sleep,
and the few minutes they managed to spend napping, only-
served to emphasize their need for real rest. The infantry
went out to Vegas, were relieved, only to go out again. Men
lost all sense of time.
You know the rest of the story. Vegas was retaken, and
171 —
■*&'■
Memorial Service.
A battalion commander in the 5th marines calls off names of men killed in the "Vegas" operation who were members of
his unit at a regimental memorial service near the front.
is now held by the forces of the United Nations. The men
who fought so hard for those hills are not there now. Some
of them have gone home; some are resting, in reserve areas;
some are still in hospitals; and there are many who are gone
forever.
Chaplain E. Vaughan Lyons, Jr., Presbyterian,
USA, adds the information that he and Chaplain Ed-
ward J. Kelly, Roman Catholic, were with Chaplain
Moore. He adds,
It seemed as though the stream of wounded and dying
would never cease. All night long the chaplains knelt be-
side the steady flow of litters, sometimes to repeat a passage
of scripture, sometimes to give words of reassurance or com-
fort, sometimes to hear confessions or to administer the last
rites, sometimes to merely joke or light a cigarette, but al-
ways they knelt beside each man to pray. For 5 long days
the chaplains kept their vigil beside the wounded, while
nearly 1,000 men passed through the aid stations. Thanks
to the heroic and tireless efforts of doctors, corpsmen, and
litter bearers hundreds of them are alive and recovered to-
day. Few of them were evacuated without the ministry of
a chaplain.
When it was over three weary chaplains tired, hungry,
and dirty, returned to their tents to face the grim task of
writing the heartbreaking letters informing the next of kin
that the battle is forever ended for their husband or son.
Not until this was done was there time for reflection. What
about those who live through such an experience? What
happens to them?
Combat is both a terrifying and an exhilarating experi-
ence. The pressure of combat intensifies the whole range of
human emotions. Men in the strain of battle hate intensely,
love intensely, fight intensely, and at the same time exhibit
intense compassion for their buddies. Friendships are for-
ever solidified. A spirit of camaraderie develops which is un-
like anything else.
No one thinks of himself as a hero. Afterwards, each
one thinks only of how much more he could have done or
should have done. Whatever he did, it was not enough.
He was there to do a job and at the time he did it as best
he knew how. Riflemen, mortar men, wiremen, machine
gunners, corpsmen, platoon leaders, doctors, chaplains ac-
cepted their role with only one thought and prayer. "Lord,
give me the strength to do my job as well as possible."
Afterward, whatever was done never seems to have been
sufficient.
Chaplain Lyons said concerning the evacuation of the
dead and wounded from Reno, "It was like the blind
leading the blind. Some could not see, so others car-
ried them along and held them up. Many of the
men couldn't bring their stretchers off the hill." An
observer says that "through the maelstrom of flying
metal and destroyed life went the chaplain and his
20-man "crew" — cooks, clerks, radiomen, messengers,
supplymen, truck drivers, and mess waiters, but all
Marines." It was their job to save the remnants of
the unit that had faced a thousand Chinese troops.
— 172
Chaplain Edward J. Kelly, Roman Catholic, is re-
ported 5 holding the services on Palm Sunday for the
veterans of Outpost Vegas by John Casserly. The
reporter records.
I looked about the small, windblown tent at the faces of
these young men. Some of their lips trembled out swift,
short prayers. Others had their heads bowed, almost rest-
ing them on the backs of crude wooden benches ... A
young leatherneck's field pants were ripped down the left
leg from the hip to his ankle. The back of his right boot
was cut away. He wiped bleary eyes on a sleeve that had
hit the dirt many times.
He walked to the Communion rail with a limp. Others
followed. . . . After the service a sergeant asked, "What
about the men on Reno?" ... He quickly added: "What
about the last few men?"
"They're all gone," I said.
He looked away and put his helmet on and began walk-
ing down the steep hill . . .
Shortly after the battle a Marine correspondent,
T. Sgt. Bill Daum, described a memorial service con
ducted by a chaplain,
With the First Marine Division in Korea — "Greater love
hath no man than this ; that a man lay down his life for
his friends."
The words echoed between the brown hills and were swept
away on a chill spring wind.
This was Korea. The men assembled with bowed heads
were Marines — members of the 5th Regiment — gathered in
a memorial service for buddies killed in action on bloody
Vegas.
Most of these men had lost someone during the 3-day
siege which saw first Chinese, then Marines, holding the
battered knob. Anyone watching the hundreds of battle-
hardened Leathernecks would find it hard to believe that
10 days before, this silent, prayful group had shattered one
Red assault after another in a life and death struggle.
Battalion commanders called off a somber roll: Marines
who would never again answer up at a muster. These were
the dead.
Three volleys rang out and were lost on that same chill
wind which took the chaplain's prayer.
Then came "Taps"; the finale in this drama of battle, its
emotions and men.
Two chaplains were released from duty with the
Marines in June and were presented with awards.6
The first was Chaplain John P. Byrnes who was
awarded the Bronze Star with a Combat "V." His
citation reads in part,
When elements of the regiment were committed to the
main line of resistance and subjected to intense enemy ac-
tion, he traveled over roads that were under constant enemy-
observation administering both spiritual and physical aid to
the wounded. Disregarding his personal comfort, he made
continuous daily visits to men on the front line exerting
every effort to render spiritual guidance to those in need
ot his services. Often, whenever patrols and raids were con-
ducted forward of the main lines, he would spend long
hours awaiting their return to be of whatever assistance he
could.7
The second was Chaplain Gerald E. Kuhn who
received the Commendation Medal with the authori-
zation of a Combat "V," concerning this award was
the following statement in part,
He provided moral and spiritual guidance and comfort to
the personnel of the regiment and during periods when the
unit was engaged in extensive combat operations, he disre-
garded his personal safety and comfort in order to assist in
caring for the sick and wounded. Although frequently ex-
posed to the hazards of enemy small arms, mortar and ar-
tillery fire, [he] helped evacuate the wounded and tendered
spiritual consolation and peace to the severely injured.
Chaplain Walter Nordby, who was involuntarily re-
called to active duty, wrote,
I have learned much more during this tour in Korea and
Pendleton than I did all during the last war. I am sold on
the Marine Corps 100 percent. My ministry has surely been
a rich one with the Marines. In reserve my Character
Guidance lectures were very well received with good discus-
sions following. After the word got around that I wasn't
trying to deliver sermons I even had the company command-
ers and platoon leaders attending. Things like that made me
feel like a part of the fighting team.
It was at Easter time that Chaplain Matthew J.
Strumski crusaded for Peace in Korea by traveling
with an officially consecrated Pilgrim Virgin Statue
sent from the Bishop of Fatima, Portugal.
Chaplain Samuel Sobel, Jewish Chaplain, was de-
tached from the Division on 13 April. He was
awarded a Bronze Star for his activity. His citation
states in part,
Carrying out frequent trips to the front lines, he imparted
strength and peace of mind to the troops throughout many
days and nights while under heavy enemy artillery and mor-
tar fire. Conscientious in his devotion to the fulfillment of
his mission, he ministered to the spiritual needs of the
wounded and dying at the front lines, forward aid stations
and medical companies of the division. His inspiring efforts,
resourceful initiative and unswerving devotion to duty
throughout reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant Sobel
and the United States Naval Service."
1 In the Philadelphia Inquirer, 30 March 1953.
' These awards are noted here because of their application
to this period.
' This chaplain was also awarded the Purple Heart for
wounds sustained 27 February 1953.
8 The Purple Heart was also awarded for wounds sus-
tained on 29 March 1953.
173
,***
Rainbow Village — Site of Little Switch.
An overall view of the village set up by the 1st Engineers Battalion. The main entrance is on the left.
Chaplain of the Year — Reserve Officers Association
The Reserve Officers' Association chose Chaplain
Sobel as the "Chaplain of the Year" ( 1955) noting his
work with Marines in Korea. The Four Chaplains
Award was made by the Department of the District of
Columbia at the dedication of the $100,000 Four
Chaplains Memorial Fountain at National Memorial
Park, Falls Church, Va., on 25 September 1955.
Chaplain E. B. Harp, Jr., Chief of Chaplains accepted
for Chaplain Sobel who was stationed overseas at the
time. In part the citation read,
As the only Jewish Chaplain in the Marine Division he,
without regard to his own personal safety, made frequent
trips to the front lines and spent many days and nights with
the men under heavy artillery and mortar fire in order to
bring them the strength and consolation of their faith as
well as many physical comforts and food.
Disregarding his personal comfort, he ministered to the
spiritual needs of the wounded and dying at the front lines,
forward aid stations, and medical companies of the Division.
As a result of his spirit of self-sacrifice he was wounded in
action.
Truce Talks
The resumption of the truce talks in April which
were to lead to "Little Switch" focused world atten-
tion upon the participants in the true talks. Some in-
dication of the character of the chief U.N. nearotiator
may be gained by the comments of two chaplains.
Chaplain Newman stated that he served as Protestant
Chaplain in the United Nations Peace Camp, conduct-
ing services for the delegates at Munsan-Ni. He testi-
fies that Maj. Gen. William K. Harrison was a
frequent attendant at these services and that he gave
encouragement to the chaplain in his work. Chaplain
Schnick while serving with the 1st Service Battalion
also conducted worship services at the United Na-
tions Base Camp. He tells of General Harrison, as he
was leaving one of the services, taking the hand of the
chaplain and saying, "Chaplain, you believe in the
Bible, don't you?" Chaplain Schnick replied "Yes,
sir, I do." The chaplain states, "He then said, in a
way I won't forget and with feeling 'I do too.' This
was one of the most memorable experiences that I had
while serving in Korea."
Little Switch
Finally on 20 April the day had come when the
prisoners, some of them after long periods of cap-
tivity, were to be returned. The Division Chaplain
writes to Chaplain Harp concerning the exchange of
prisoners, commonly called "Little Switch," which
occurred on 20 April,
Today was a day of liberation for some of our prisoners
of war who came through Panmunjom into open arms and
174 —
warm hearts at Freedom Village in the 1st Marine Division
sector. Everything possible was done to welcome them and
make them comfortable.
This event marked one of the greatest opportunities for
chaplains in the U.S. Naval Service. We were standing in
our section of the processing lines by our altars ready to
extend the hand of Christian fellowship to soldiers and
Marines of many nations. They were eager and happy to
receive our spiritual ministry. Many wept with joy in their
hearts. We had prayer with them. We served Holy Com-
munion; gave them New Testaments, Missals, and rosaries.
We made our sections as attractive as possible by getting
flowers from the hillsides. We pinned the religious posters,
church pennants, and spare altar cloths to the walls of the
tents. The impression on the prisoners was terrific — as well
as on generals, newspaper men, photographers, and all hands
who were engaged in the processing work. I was never so
proud and humble in trying to minister as a military chap-
lain.
I remember one man who wanted me to read a few
verses from the Bible. He had been a prisoner for 29
months; I read the 23d Psalm. If I had not known it from
memory I would have stalled on the verse: "Though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for Thou art with me." Both his and my eyes were full of
tears. Then I read the Beatitudes and a part of I cor. 13.
It seems that they were allowed to conduct church services
by holding prayer meetings and singing a few familiar songs
from memory while prisoners. The ones with whom I talked
said that they did not have any clergyman or priests to
help them.
Tomorrow we will be back. Our chaplains in the lines
and medical companies are ministering to battle casualties
every day and night. Every chaplain I have is doing a
wonderful job.
This letter speaks for itself, and bears eloquent testi-
mony as to the work of the chaplains on this memo-
rable day. Chaplain Meachum's own activity was
pictured in a number of press releases.
There are other accounts of "Little Switch" as given
by participating chaplains. The chaplains had ar-
ranged folding altars at the exchange site for Protes-
tants, Catholics and Jews in one of the long rows
of hospital tents erected by the United Nations. Their
part in the operation became quickly apparent when
the first 50 American prisoners arrived and sought
first of all spiritual comfort after their long ordeal
of sickness, pain, and captivity. Of those first 50,
35 took communion as their first act of freedom.
A number of the chaplains state that much of the
credit for setting up the program should go to Chap-
lain Meachum. The men were brought in ambu-
lances from the Panmunjom exchange point and un-
loaded. They were separated into four lines which
went through two tents each. In the first tent Chap-
lain E. Vaughan Lyons, Jr., states that, the returnee
. . . was given a physical examination, preliminary medi-
cal treatment, and a new issue of clothing. He was then
taken to the records section to establish identity and clarify
his status. From there he was ushered into the press tent
for interviews by representatives of the press, provided the
returnee was willing for such an interview. From the press
he was taken to the nourishment section where he sat down
and was given a cup of soup or coflfee.
It was at this stage that chaplains talked with the
men. Chaplain Leo F. Rice, Roman Catholic, de-
Freedom Sign
A marine of the 1st Engineer Battalion puts the finishing
touches on the sign to be placed at the medical camp where
the prisoners will be received.
Released POW Pfc. Billy Brown talks with Chaplain Andrew
J. Barry, Jr., upon arrival at Freedom Village.
— 175 —
Scenes From Little Switch
Chaplain Lonnie Meachum serves communion to Billy Penn
shortly after his repatriation from the Communists.
Chaplain Richard W. Shreffler prays for Pfc. Reggie A. Sul-
livan shortly after the latter's release and arrival at Freedom
Village.
scribes his experiences in a paper entitled "Rebirth in
Freedom Village." He affirms that,
In the Marine tents we chaplains were placed in an ideal
location. After the men had been given a military briefing,
had been interviewed by the press, had changed from their
blue Chinese uniforms of repatriation into the uniforms of
free peoples, they were brought to the nourishment section.
Here we chaplains were invited to meet them. In the four
lines of tents each line was terminated by a visit to a little
chapel. In this part of the tent a Protestant altar was set
in one corner, a Catholic altar was in the other corner, and
the Jewish chaplain was called when needed.
The men with whom I talked touched me deeply. They
came in various conditions: some healthy and trim looking
(with a wind burn from their long ride of several hundred
miles), some just skin and bones. Some had stumps of legs
left, some had withered arms. . . . Some looked as though
they were TB cases, some looked emotionally aroused and
confused. In some cases their hearing was impaired.
Our job as chaplains was not so much to question them
on what had happened in general but to make them feel at
home, to get them to relax a moment, to direct their thoughts
along a religious line, and then to see if they wanted to make
an act of thanksgiving to Almighty God. In general, most
of the men did want just that, ASKED for it, and the greater
majority of them wanted to receive Holy Communion.
When we met them at the coffee table usually a Catholic
priest and a Protestant chaplain seated themselves with the
man. We asked if they had been to church. They usually
said: "On Christmas and Easter yes, but not most Sun-
days." One man showed us some pictures he had taken with
a camera up there — and some pictures of what he said was
a religious ceremony. They told us that sometimes a man
was allowed to keep his New Testament with him. I know
of only one Catholic man who had an English missal with
him on his return — although they had them when captured.
Chaplain Lyons records,
A very large percentage of the returnees requested com-
munion: it was the first time that some of them had received
the sacrament for 2 or more years. While prisoners they
were permitted to hold religious services. At least that was
true in the later months of their imprisonment. In the early
days of the war, services were prohibited.
Since there were no chaplains in the camps the men or-
ganized their own services of worship. They sang hymns
which they remembered. A few of them managed to keep
New Testaments or Bibles, but most of them were con-
fiscated when they were taken prisoner. The men reported
that Chinese guards who understood English were present
for each service and the scripture lesson as well as the hymns
and sermon had to be cleared in advance of the service.
Chaplain Lyons gives testimony to the fact that.
The privilege of distributing the sacrament to these men
will long live in my memory as one of the great thrills of my
ministry in the service. Participating in these individual
communion services I gained a new appreciation of the
meaning and significance of the sacrament.
Chaplain Rice speaks of the reports concerning
worship,
Some Protestant men told me the Catholics would gather
for devotions. Other men tell us that when the rosary was
said the Communists would break up the meeting because
— 176-
Thomas H. Waddill is given communion by Chaplain Vaughan Lyons at Freedom Village.
Communists in the Reno action.
Waddill was captured by the
they said "we don't know what you are doing." Since
there are captive priests admittedly, and these could have
been made available to the Catholic men. it is apparent that
these men were deprived of an essential element of their
religion — namely, the administration of the sacraments by
legitimately ordained priests.
Some of the men made their own crosses and cruci-
fixes by melting down the metal from their toothpaste
and shaving cream tubes. There are a number of per-
sonal accounts given by chaplains. Chaplain Rice tells
how,
One man really touched me. He sat down at the coffee
table. I introduced the Protestant chaplain and then my-
self as the Catholic priest. He told us that he had not been
to the Sacraments the whole 2 years in prison. He said his
rosary had been taken from him. He asked for a rosary and
also to go to confession and communion. He then looked
around, his eyes twinkled and he said: "Gee, I'm free."
And then he filled up, sobbed heavily, and after a few sobs
said "Gee, Father, I'm sorry I'm crying." I said "That's all
right — I'm with you." And I'm sure those others sitting at
the table with him were crying too. The Division chaplain.
Chaplain Meachum, stepped up behind the man, braced the
man's shoulder and said: "All right son, come along and
you'll be all right." We all stood up and directed him to
the chapel. I took him by the arm and led him to the chair
for confession. He was then ready for communion. As he
sat down to make his thanksgiving I gave him a rosary. He
asked me to put it around his neck. I suppose his feeling
was: On my neck it's more my own." Also, the rosary is an-
other one of the signs we use to indicate the members of the
union of communion of saints. As he stood up I put my
arms around his shoulder and led him to the man who was
to take him to the Army hospital just outside our tent. "I
hope to see you back in the States," I said in farewell.
Other Roman Catholic Chaplains were also
serving. Chaplain Elmer F. Ernst was with Chaplain
Rice. Chaplain Andrew J. Barry was on hand to as-
sist where the British Commonwealth men were being
processed. Chaplain Thomas Edwards assisted with
other UN troops. Two other chaplains, Edward J.
Kelly and John T. Moore participated. The Jewish
chaplain attached to the Division at this time was
Chaplain Murray I. Rothman. He worked along
with the other chaplains in both "Little and Big
Switch."
Chaplain Lyons adds this story.
About a month before Marines of the 5th Regiment were
engaged in a heavy battle for three forward outposts. Out-
post Reno and Vegas were completely overrun by the Com-
munist forces. A few Marines were recovered from Vegas,
— 177 —
but there was no indication of what had become of the men
on Reno. It was known that many of them had been
killed and that perhaps a few had been captured. Among
the men on Reno was a Navy Hospital corpsman from Fort
Worth, Tex., named Thomas Waddill. About 2 weeks after
the engagement Mrs. Waddill wrote to the regimental chap-
lain of the 5th Marines stating that she had received a tele-
gram from the Navy Department informing her that her
her son was missing in action. Since there were no survivors
from Reno it was not known what had become of any of
the men It was believed that most or all of them had
died, although this information was not conveyed to her.
The chaplain's closing sentence of his reply was, "We unite
with you in our prayer for peace and for safety of your son."
Again Mrs. Waddill wrote a beautiful letter to the chap-
lain in which she said, "While we still hope, it is good to
know too that Tom enlisted in the Navy, and also volunteered
to go with Marines to Korea because he considered it his
duty, that he had hospital training to offer. He believed
the war worth while." In closing she stated, "Our faith is
in God, and in the ultimate goodness of his plans."
The chaplain was amazed to see Corpsman Thomas Wad-
dill walk through the line on Thursday as a returned pris-
oner of war. Even though Mrs. Waddill was immediately
informed that her son was returned, the chaplain wrote to
assure her that he was well and on his way home for a happy
day of reunion. Such are the experiences of the chaplains
at Freedom Village. Each man has his own story to tell.
Chaplain Rice concludes,
To hear them tell that they did try to gather for Divine
Service, that many of them did pray every day shows that
these men have the elements of free men in them. They
have initiative in them : for even now they feel that others
worse off than they should have been released before them
(and they so told the Commies) ; that they wanted to make
use of confession and communion, receive a new rosary,
say a psalm of thanksgiving, or pray with their Rabbi —
these are real men . . . These are the men whose eyes
lighted up when the chaplain would tell them: "This is
'Operation Little Switch' — We hope it is the start of 'Opera-
tion Big Switch' — and the still bigger switch to the ways of
Peace."
Chaplain Rice seems to express it for all the chap-
lains when he says, "It was the most touching thing
in my life."
Chaplains of the Division observe the Sabbath on
every day of the week. Among the accounts of "Con-
tinuous Sabbath" is the one given by Chaplain Rich-
ard G. Hutcheson, Jr., which he calls "Sunday Comes
on Wednesday in Korea."
Sunday comes on Wednesday at Easy Battery. The Prot-
estant chaplain is a jeepborne circuit rider, with scheduled
services at 1 3 different places each week. So Protestant
church-goers at "E" Battery, 2d Battalion, 11th Marines,
congregate at 3 o'clock on Wednesday afternoons. It makes
little difference to them. Manning the 105-mm howitzers,
light artillery workhorses of the 1st Marine Division, is a
24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week job. Days pass in nameless
succession for men at war.
A jeep, identified as that of the chaplain in appropriately
ecclesiastical Old English script, rolls into the Battery area.
The time is 1415 on Wednesday, 22 April 1953. For Chap-
lain R. G. Hutcheson, Jr., one of the four chaplains serving
the 11th Marines, this is the fourth stop of the day. He
started the morning with an early, unscheduled visit to a
Rockets Battery, where night before last one man was killed
and several others injured in an operational accident. From
there to "D" Battery for a 10:30 service and for lunch in
the new mess tent (incoming enemy artillery rounds showed
an uncomfortable liking for the vicinity of the old one a
couple of weeks ago!). Then on to "F" Battery for another
service right after chow. And now "E." This will be the
chaplain's last service of the day, but there is a Bible class
tonight at the CP of another battalion.
Easy's guns are quiet now, but the first glance shows that
everyone is hard at work on the parapets and bunkers.
Winter weather took its toll of sandbags. They were service-
able as long as they stayed frozen, but now spring has thawed
them and the rotten ones must be replaced quickly, the
bunkers rebuilt. It is hard, backbreaking work. The chap-
lain makes the round of the gun positions, stopping briefly
to chat with the men as they work. If someone has a prob-
lem to talk over with him an appointment is arranged after
the service. At Gun No. 1 work on the parapet has been
completed and several of the men are taking a break. The
chaplain sits down to visit. S. Sgt. Stuart H. Floyd of
Chester, Ga. — a member of the First Baptist Church there —
wonders if the chaplain has heard how many sick and
wounded Marines have been returned at Panmunjom so far.
What about their physical condition? What have they said
about the treatment they received from the Chinese? The
talk goes on from there to a discussion of the possibility of
a truce, and then to rotation. All topics lead eventually
to rotation!
It is 10 minutes till 3, and the chaplain walks up to the
mess tent, now converted into a chapel. Sergeant Floyd, a
regular churchgoer, says he will be on up in a few minutes.
A look inside the tent shows that everything is ready. Pfc.
Kenneth L. Terrell of Des Moines, Iowa, a future Baptist
minister and now a very capable chaplain's assistant, has
been hard at work. The portable altar kit has been brought
in from the jeep and arranged on a mess table at one end.
Benches have been placed in front of it, between the tables.
The folding organ is open, in its place to the left of the altar.
Hymnals are on the benches.
Pfc. Edward J. Evans, of Trenton, N.J., has arrived early
for a few words with the chaplain before the service starts.
Last Wednesday Eddie was baptized, and a letter is now on
the way to Ewing Township Presbyterian Church in Tren-
ton, asking that he be received into membership. His wife is
already a member, and he hopes, sometime after next Octo-
ber, to walk into that church with a brand new baby to be
baptized! Eddie has been reading his Bible regularly, and
he has come across a passage in St. Matthew that he doesn't
entirely understand. After a few minutes' discussion its
meaning is cleared up.
The congregation is arriving now. As the men take their
seats rifles are laid aside, but kept close at hand as regulations
require. Attendance is small today. Most of the regulars
are present, though. S. Sgt. Philip L. Foss, of the Elm St.
Methodist Church in South Portland, Maine . . . Phil was
178 —
very active in his home church. President of the Youth Fel-
lowship at one time, and secretary-treasurer of the Sunday
School. Cpl. Allen N. Turner, of Statesville, N.C. — former
Sunday School superintendent at Pleasant Grove Presbyte-
rian Church. Cpl. Samuel M. Baer, member of the Lu-
theran Church in Watsonville. Calif. Cpl. Samuel B. Fielder,
Jr., of Bel Air, Md., where he belongs to Mount Zion Meth-
odist Church, Cpl. Gayle E. Bracken of Mundy's Corner,
Pa., member of Pike Brethren Church. Pfc. Harrison C.
Grimes — not a church member at present, but thinking of
joining — a future Baptist.
The service opens, as usual, with hymns requested by the
men. Today the first request is for "Jesus Calls Us, O'er
the Tumult." Then "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus"; "I
Love to Tell the Story"; "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Al-
mighty" ; and "Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me." Nobody asks
for "The Old Rugged Cross" today, although that one is
seldom overlooked !
Time for hymn singing is about up, and the more formal
part of the service begins with a responsive reading. Today's
selection is entitled "Trust in the Lord" — part of the 63d
Psalm. During the reading the guns of the Battery, silent
until now, open up with a "Battery one." Temporarily the
voices are drowned out. The worshipers are conscious of the
fact that outside the tent their buddies in the parapets are
still fighting a war; that a few thousand yards to the north
are the Chinese Communists who will be on the receiving end
of the rounds that just left the guns; that a few miles to the
west sick and wounded prisoners are being exchanged at Pan-
munjom; that truce talks will reopen there on Saturday, in
a renewed attempt to end the war which is all around —
which, in this service of worship to Almighty God is so far
away, yet so very close. The service continues with prayers,
a Scripture reading from the Book of Job. The chaplain,
in his sermon, talks about the way Job met tragedy and suf-
fering in his life. He knows that one of the buddies of the
men present was killed 2 weeks ago and that they felt it
deeply; he knows that before rotation date rolls around oth-
ers may be touched by tragedy. The sermon is designed to
show that in a firm faith men find their greatest strength
to meet life's hardships. The men sing "Faith of Our
Fathers" as the service closes, and as always they sing
heartily. After the benediction they pick up their rifles,
shake hands with the chaplain, and return to the guns. Ser-
geant Foss sticks around for a minute. He has just received
the first pictures of his brand new daughter — taken 12 hours
after she was born, on April 3d — and he wants the chaplain
to see them. He is very proud of her, and he has a right
to be.
A few minutes and the church is folded up, packed away
in the jeep. The tent is once more a mess hall. Sunday is
over, and it is Wednesday again at Easy Battery. But for a
short time 11 men, from 10 States, from 7 denominations,
have been a Christian Church. It happens hundreds of
times every day, in the 1st Marine Division and all across
the Korean front. It is a commonplace, a normal part of
service life. But it is a source of pride, too, this knowledge
that wherever the American Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Ma-
rine is, there the Christian Church is.
About this time Chaplain Kenneth D. Killin was
awarded a Letter of Commendation for the period 26
November to 20 April 1953. Chaplain Killin is de-
scribed as one who constantly disregarded his personal
safety and comfort "in order to minister aid and com-
fort to the wounded . . . His determined efforts and
selfless devotion to duty served as a constant inspira-
tion to all who observed him."
The 1st Marine Air Wing
The chaplains continued their fine work at the 1st
Marine Air Wing. There were few changes in
the Roster of Chaplains. Chaplains F. P.
O'Malley and J. F. Cloonon, Roman Catholics, were
MAG 12 Chapel (Exterior).
This chapel was located at K-6, south of Seoul. Note the
sandbags on the roof placed there to protect the roof against
high winds.
MAG 33 Chapel.
Using flat stone from the ocean floor on the east coast of
Korea this chapel located at Pohang (K-3) has a striking
appearance. The bell was specially cast in Taegu and was
paid for by selling fertilizer bags from the air strip.
:,::. -.::r, 2 O— 60 13
179-
Monthly Meeting.
Chaplain Parker dressed in Korean garb welcomes Brig. Gen. Alexander W. Kreiser, Jr., assistant commanding general of
the 1st MAW. The other chaplains do not appear to be overburdened although they are equipped to "carry the load."
Other than Chaplain Parker and the general those pictured here are: Chaplain J. H. Lampe; Col. Samuel S. Jack,
Chief of Staff; Chaplains G. J. Clark; E. C. Mulligan; E. R. Lineberger; and J. W. Paul.
on board prior to 6 January. They were assigned to
MAG 12 and Hedron 1 respectively. Publicity and
citations acknowledged the accomplishments of the
chaplains. Noteworthy is the award of the Bronze
Star to Chaplain Paul J. La Duca covering the period
29 January to 21 December. Besides traveling over
hazardous terrain in subzero weather to minister to
his own men, the chaplain
directed the members of his congregation in helping the
orphans of the area and assisted in providing aid to 2
destitute orphanages with a total enrollment of approxi-
mately 250 children, thereby implementing the work of
agencies concerned with creating a strong feeling of
friendship to those in need.
Chaplain Parker wrote on 6 December referring to
the Marine Memorial Orphanage at Pohangdong
and of the Eden Marine Orphanage at MAG 12. He
also stated that during the 8 months that he had been
in Korea that he had distributed 24 tons of clothing
from the States. "The Post Office men are often angry
because of the weight of the packages. The Com-
manding General has requested me to keep his jeep
loaded with bundles of clothes so he can pass them
out to the Korean naked." He further stated that a
film called "Operation Orphans" was made for TV.
"At no other time in my naval career have I had such
an opportunity to help suffering humanity," he af-
firmed.
— 180 —
Visitor.
Francis Cardinal Spellman with Chaplain Mulligan and Chaplain Parker during his Christmas visit to K-3 in 1952.
Christmas Scene.
Chaplain Twitchell, FMF, Pac, Chaplain, stands with Chaplain O'Malley and Chaplain Parker beside the wing chapel
nativity scene.
181
Chaplain M. H. Twitchell, FMF chaplain, visited
the Wing and the Division the last of December and
the first of January.
It is noted in the later award of his Commenda-
tion Ribbon that Chaplain Edwin C. O'Malley was re-
sponsible "for the inspirational appearance of His
Eminence, Francis Cardinal Spellman before Wing
personnel on 31 December 1952."
Chaplain J. H. Lampe cites the Christmas party of
1952 as an outstanding experience. MAG 12 had
on board, 400 orphans from 4 different orphanages,
which they supported. They each received gifts and
saw Santa, but ". . . the tremendously important
thing was that the men got to see or care for these
children as if they were their own . . . and these chil-
dren had a firsthand experience of being cared for
by someone who, for the moment, was a real "daddy."
It was more than the giving of gifts — it was the giving
of themselves and their love that made the experience
a vital, living thing for all concerned."
Articles appeared in the Ladies Home journal 1 and
the National Geographic Magazines3 concerning the
work of the unit with orphans. The former article
described "Operation Kidlift" and told about the work
of Marines at Kangnung, and presented the part
played by Chaplains — Weidler and La Duca.9 A TV
film was produced to present the story of the MAG-12
orphanage at Kecksa-ri. By this time the Marine
Memorial Orphanage at Pohangdong has 6 buildings
and 5,700 pyong of ricelands (a pyong is 36 square
feet) . The MAW also took over the support of an
orphanage at Pyongtaek, 40 miles south of Seoul.
Chaplain O'Malley noted on 3 March that a number
of the Roman Catholic chaplains were about to go on
a retreat to Seoul for a Day of Recollection.
Chaplain Fenstermacher, assigned to the Gun Bat-
talion and the H&S Battery in Pusan, found that it
was much better to have services on weekdays rather
than to try to serve all batteries on Sunday. It ". . .
permitted me more time (for) visiting and counselling
with the men at the batteries both on Sunday and
weekdays."
By this time the Wing has five chapels constructed.
Forces Afloat
No vessels of our forces were sunk during the period
under consideration, although previously, in August,
the tug SARSI, was sunk by a mine resulting in nine
casualties. There was an increase in antiaircraft fire
1 Ladies Home Journal, December 1952.
3 National Geographic Magazine, February 1953.
"Cp. p. 227f.
and for the period 1 June 1952 to 31 May 1953 Ma-
rine and naval units lost 170 aircraft from that source,
but only three were lost in aerial combat. There was
enough action on ORISKANY for the chaplain to
have the problem of where Mass should be held.
Chaplain G. J. Barras states, "The wardroom was
used for the first Mass at 0800 to the accompaniment
of launching planes and bouncing bombs." They
moved below to the crew's lounge for the remaining
two masses though at times they moved down even
one more deck.
Chaplain Warren L. Wolf was cited (in lieu of a
Bronze Star) for his work aboard the BADOENG
STRAIT. Many fine things are said about this chap-
lain including "While in the Yellow Sea, this officer
conducted services on numerous United Nations ships
of the screening element in addition to those on his
own ship, which services . . . were invariably well
received by his hosts." Chaplain Wolf indicates that
he felt like "the Bishop of the Yellow Sea as I serv-
iced Canadian, British, and American Destroyers.
The Dutch could not use me as my German was too
out of date." He also indicates an improvement at
the staging area, Sasebo, and states that Chaplains
Lonergan and Brink, who were stationed there, were
very helpful. Chaplain Walsh relieved the former 1
April.
A number of chaplains in the Fleet note the zeal of
their personnel for religious administrations. It is
evident that the chaplains were doing a great deal to
accept the challenge thus presented. As in previous
periods the ships' companies were awake to the needs
of others and contributed generously to worthy causes
both in America and in Korea.
The hospital ships the REPOSE, HAVEN, and the
CONSOLATION continued to carry out their mis-
sions of mercy. They too expressed an interest in the
orphans in Korea.
MSTS
A number of chaplains continued to serve with
MSTS. Their reactions to their duty is of great inter-
est. Chaplain John W. Robb pointed out that the
ship's primary function was transporting troops to the
war area. He felt the importance of not "preying
upon the fears of the men, but rather in making a con-
structive religious appeal."
Chaplain Reginald A. Berry tells of the cooperation
of the Commanders of the Military Departments
aboard the ships on which he had served. He tells
how the executive officer of the Military Department
of the USNS Gen. D. E. AULTMAN held Roman
182 —
Catholic Rosaiy Services when Catholic Chaplains
were unavailable. Chaplain James R. Spaid tells of
the reaction of some commanding officers to the work
of chaplains. He affirms that several commanding
officers stated that until they came to transport duty
and saw the program of chaplains working under
them, they had not realized the importance of the
chaplains in the military organization and have thus
given them including himself, their full and complete
cooperation.
Chaplain Spaid also tells of an Army lieutenant who
had come
. . . aboard for a voyage to Korea who had no use for the
Church and anything it stood for due to some unfortunate
experiences his family had had in his younger days. He
stated that he had given chaplains a "hard time" at every
opportunity. Upon his seeing our full schedule of daily
services for almost every faith, the schedule for Bible classes,
choir practices etc., he decided to check in on a few and talk
a little with the men hoping to aggravate them a bit and
knock the program apart. About half way out from the
States this officer took sick for the first time in his life and
called for me and in the course of our conversation he un-
covered his plan, but he admitted it had utterly failed for
he said he had absolutely no success in discouraging the men
attending these various activities; in fact, he felt himself
being influenced by the services. So he saw me each day
for a period of instruction and I don't believe he missed a
single daily service after that for the balance of the trip.
I wrote his wife at the officer's request, in relation to his
decision which made her most happy and inspired her to get
back in active work in her former church. I thought it
might be a temporary thing, but I have the word of the Port
Chaplain at Pusan, Korea that this officer during his rutin
stay in Korea was one of his most loyal supporters and was
very active in assisting the chaplain there. The officer now
has returned to the States and now I have had several let-
ters from them stating that they feel that their decision has
brought a closeness in their lives they have never before
experienced.
Each voyage of an MSTS ship is a new experience.
New leadership is sought and found. Chaplain Spaid
speaks of his volunteers, saying,
. . . the most glory is due those many young men who vol-
unteered their services to assist me in the entire program.
Those men who played the organ, directed our many choirs,
those who sang solos, who did the ushering, who assisted in
the libraries as well as the religious services as well as those
who actually conducted rosaries. Bible classes etc.. did a
magnificent job in the making of our program possible.
Without them we would never have been able to have such
a complete program. On transports, we have a very mini-
mum of our own personnel and as a result our congregations
are different each trip: these volunteers did an invaluable
piece of work and certainly should be recognized for their
most unselfish efforts.
Chaplain Nelson speaks of the Bible study class as
the best source for Sunday School teachers and choir
members.
Chaplain Spaid says concerning the variety of
services,
It was nothing unusual to have Protestant, Catholic, Jew-
ish, Latter Day Saints, Christian Science, Pentecostal,
Seventh Day Adventist (and even Mohammedan on one
trip) and others . . . held on one day. Catholic and
Protestant services are held daily and many of the other
groups especially the L.D.S. had services on a daily basis.
In addition to the services, Bible classes and instruction
classes were conducted daily along with daily choir practices.
Chaplain Nelson reports on counseling stating that
it varies greatly, depending on whether a person is
going to Korean waters or away from them. Sex ed-
ucation, marriage, and family life were the emphasis
on the way out. On the way back the main emphasis
was on civil readjustment. He also speaks on counsel-
ing men who are interested in full time or part time
religious vocations. Chaplain Jesse D. Harder also
confirms the latter stating that "Several men have in-
dicated their desire to become chaplains. A number
of men want to become chaplain's assistants." From
the reports of the chaplains it would appear that char-
acter education lectures were held aboard MSTS ves-
sels and were well received. Collateral duties were as
numerous as ever. Chaplain Nelson says that in the
Special Services program alone, "On some trips we
have as high as 50 members of ship's company and
troop personnel under our supervision." From the
listing of activities aboard his ship it would appear
that Chaplain Peter J. Matron would need as much
help as Chaplain Nelson had.
Chaplain Rauzelle M. Johnson tells of a voyage on
an ocean that was "pacific" in name only. In fact he
was packing his congregation in. He recalls that,
The chapel area was filled. The ship took a roll while
we were reading the responsive reading ; we had to stop the
reading. A crowded chapel was about half full since the
men were sliding from side to side. When the reading was
resumed the chaplain read: "Arise, O Lord." And the
congregation read: "And save me. (). my God." And they
meant every word of it. The normal trip took 12 days;
this one took 19 days.
Chaplain Norman B. Holmes calls attention to his
2-year shipboard duty serving the Korean theater as
marking "the first time in more than 25 years that a
Christian Science Navy Chaplain has served afloat and
in combat waters." It also appears that Chaplain
Holmes was the second chaplain of his affiliation to
serve in the naval chaplaincy. Concerning services
aboard his ship. Chaplain Holmes reports,
183
Aboard each ship my primary duty was to provide for the
spiritual welfare of all embarked personnel. To this end I
conducted Sunday and daily Protestant Church services un-
derway with one Communion service each outbound and
inbound voyage. In addition Sunday and daily Roman
Catholic Rosary services were arranged for personnel of that
faith whenever there was no passenger Catholic chaplain
available to hold Mass. Furthermore, services were ar-
ranged weekly for personnel of the Latter Day Saints and
Jewish faiths. Finally, since I am a member of the Chris-
tian Science Church, I also conducted Sunday and midweek
Christian Science services.
Chaplain of the Year, B'nai B'rith
On 12 February 1953 Chaplain Robert D. Goodill
was serving on the GEORGE CLYMER when 75
miles away the SS PRESIDENT PIERCE was shaken
by a blast after which fire broke out on the vessel.
While the CLYMER was hastening to assist the
stricken ship the chaplain asked for and received per-
mission to board the vessel upon arrival. It took 5
hours to arrive on the scene. Meanwhile some of the
injured had been transferred to the BARRETT. The
PIERCE was determined to continue on course but
requested a fire-fighting party. At 0300 Chaplain
Goodill was the first to board the vessel. He headed
to the scene of action where a hatch had been blown
completely open. He assisted in fighting the fire
which was consuming' part of the cargo of oxygen
tanks, rubber tires, and other inflammable material.
Learning of casualties he went to minister unto them.
Later he attempted to go to the BARRETT as he
was informed that one of the men taken aboard had
died. He notified the Captain of the PIERCE of
this loss and returned to the wounded. He "offered
spiritual consolations to the sufferers regardless of
their religious affiliations." He subsequently was des-
ignated as "Navy Chaplain of the Year," for 1953 by
the Chaplain A. D. Goode Lodge of B'nai B'rith.
— 184 —
CHAPTER TEN
KOREAN DEFENSE
Summer and Fall 1953
1 May-27 July 1953
After the prisoners had been exchanged in the
"Little Switch" Operation the UN representatives on
26 April began full negotiations for an Armistice. The
problem had been made difficult by the refusal of
114,500 Chinese and 340,000 North Koreans to return
to their homeland. It was further complicated by
the Communists insisting that they be returned to them
even if force had to be used.
The war was "stepped up" late in May and by the
first of June whenever truce prospects brightened the
enemy would increase his efforts to gain ground along
the MLR (Main Line of Resistance). A number of
outposts changed hands with no appreciable change
occurring in the territory held by either side. The
attacks ranged from company to division size with the
heaviest concentration located in the eastern sector.
Anchor Hill and Hill 812 passed into enemy hands
in late May and early June. Heavy action followed
in the central sector. The ROK forces were pushed
back in several areas, and the Fleet was called to sup-
port them. The ships involved in this support action
were the BOXER. LAKE CHAMPLAIN, PHILIP-
PINE SEA, and the PRINCETON. One of the heav-
iest bombardments of the war occurred in the effort to
recapture Anchor Hill. The NEW JERSEY, BREM-
ERTON, MANCHESTER and the ST. PAUL as-
sisted in this action.
It was evident as early as the end of the first week
of June that the anticipated terms of the Armistice
which involved a divided Korea did not please Presi-
dent Rhee. He asserted that the South Koreans
would fight to the bitter end for a United Korea.
This feeling of discontent erupted in demonstrations
staged by the South Koreans on 26 June. Seemingly
in reply to these demonstrations the Communists
launched one of their heaviest attacks of the war.
They struck with 6 divisions on 13 July using 80,000
troops against 60,000 ROK soldiers on a 20 mile front.
The South Koreans were pushed back as much as 7
miles. In support of the ROK forces over 500 sorties
were flown daily by the Fleet aircraft.
The "East Berlin" attack occurred on Sunday night,
19 July. It was preceded by a Communist concert
of Chinese and American music after which at 2030
the Chinese attacked with 1,500 troops. Rather bitter
fighting followed. On the 24th "Boulder City" was
under attack. The next day what was called a "flare-
up" took place at Outpost Esther and at the Berlin
complex. It was on this occasion that the 5th and
7th Marines repulsed a 3,000 man attack.
Fleet action continued until the cease fire with the
ST. PAUL firing the last round of the war at sea
at 2159, 27 July 1953. Peace had come but only
after 136,862 American casualties of which 24,386
had been killed or died of wounds. A bugler sounded
"Taps" at the 1st Marine Division.
The 1st Marine Division
The 1st Division was removed from the line 4 May
1953 after 20 months of fighting. On the 29th they
returned to repulse a 2-day attack by the Communists.
They were again returned to reserve on 5 June and
remained there until 8 July when they were ordered
into the sector previously manned by the 25th Infantry
and in time for "Berlin." It was about 2 weeks later
that "Boulder City," the last major action of the war,
took place.
The Chief of Chaplain's Visit
One of the important events during this period of
"Korean Defense" was the visit of the newly appointed
Chief of Chaplains.
On 16 May Chaplain Edward B. Harp, Jr., Rear
Admiral, left Washington for the Far East. He was
accompanied by Chaplain Joseph P. Mannion, Assist-
ant Director of the Division. At Pearl Harbor Chap-
lain Warren F. Cuthriell, Fleet Chaplain, joined the
group. Most of the 200 chaplains in the Pacific Ocean
area were visited. Chaplain Harp brought the Me-
185 —
Chief of Chaplains Visits.
A number of chaplains accompany the chief of chaplains on his visit to the 1st Marine Division, on 29 May 1953. Pictured
here are (left to right) Chaplain Bak Jong Won, Korean Marine Corps; Chaplain W. F. Cuthriell, Pacific Fleet; Rear
Adm. E. B. Harp, chief of chaplains; Chaplain J. P. Mannion, assistant. Chaplains Division; Chaplain Kim Dole Son,
Navy chaplain with Korean Marines; Chaplain D. J. Silvers, COMNAFE; Chaplain J. A. Whitman, COMNAFE ; and the
division chaplain, L. W. Meachum.
mortal Day Message at the 1st Marine Division.
These words of Chaplain Harp deserve attention:
... let me hasten to say that there is ample justification
for your presence here in Korea. No — it's not for political
or economic reasons, as we might be tempted to feel at times.
This conflict here is not an isolated incident far removed
from the rest of the world. On the contrary, this might be
one of the last bastions upon which hangs the very fate of
our western civilization.
You are here because Communism is endeavoring to engulf
the world. It is no more or less than that. For a long time
too many of us have maintained a stubborn blindness — too
many have gravely underestimated the diabolical forces which
the Communists have let loose upon our world. It's hardly-
necessary for me to tell you that we are not up against some-
thing superficial, but something that is critical and profound.
We are up against a way of life, a philosophy, yes — a reli-
gion, if you will — which seeks to destroy the very concept
of God — all personal freedom and thereby enslave the whole
human race. And no where are we in closer grip with this
force than right here in Korea.
What happens here and the ultimate decisions that will be
made, may very easily determine the very fate of our civi-
lization— of our way of life, possibly for generations to come.
It is for this that our departed heroes — those whom we are
now honoring — have fought and have died.
Chaplain Harp was told by General Pollock, the
commanding general, that the chaplain is one of the
most important persons in the Division.
The Chief of Chaplains returned to Washington on
10 June, expressing his gratitude for the fine work of
the chaplains he had visited and for the keen interest
in and support of the programs of chaplains on the
part of commanding officers. He found an increased
emphasis being placed upon the Character Education
program. He felt that the morale of military person-
nel was excellent.
"Battle Reports"
Chaplain Meachum in a letter of 23 June notes
that General Pate cut the ribbon and made a speech
— 186 —
at the dedication of the new division chapel the pre-
vious Sunday. On 25 July he writes :
We hope we are just through winding up another hasse] '
that started early last night. The 7th Regiment took another
beating, along with some elements of the 1st and the 5th
Regiments. I was up all night visiting the medical com-
panies and supervising the assignment and work of chaplains.
A few casualties were expected to arrive late at the medical
companies when I left at noon.
The infantry chaplains are doing a superb job in their
battalion aid stations. Chaplains attached to separate bat-
talions are relieving the medical battalion chaplains to give
constant coverage in the medical companies. These are the
worst "clobbered" of any hassel since I've been out here.
We are having many head and chest casualties, and many
arm and leg amputations.
The last accounts of the battle action are given by
several chaplains. Chaplain Peter J. Bakker, Ameri-
can Baptist, tells something of the fighting as seen in
his sector:
On the 7th of July we moved on the line in the Chang
Dang sector, just north of Seoul, and had our camp at the
foot of Hill 229. Berlin and Esther were on our right flank.
My opportunities were practically limitless. I held two or
three services a day with the men right on the Main Line
of Resistance, and in front of it on the Outpost. This re-
quired a good deal of hiking, but that never hurt anyone.
The services were small, but very profitable.
The enemy — Luke as we call him — 3 years ago we called
them — "Gooks" apparently did not always appreciate the
services. We had just finished a service in the Easy Com-
pany area when 13 or 14 76 shells came flying in on us.
The men holler: "Chink on the way", and everyone ducks
into a bunker, and it is quite an experience . . . especially
with a large quantity of Napalm stored near by.
Some may say that it just happened that way, but I be-
lieve it was God's guidance and protection. Early one after-
noon my driver, Pfc. B. Holloway, and I were on our way
down the Panmunjom road for a service when I noticed an
outpost some distance in front of the MLR, and wondered
who was up there. We investigated, and found a group of
Korean Marines, and a group of Marines from another regi-
ment. They said that they did not have a service for 3
months. We had a wonderful time — including songs by the
Koreans, and preaching to them through an interpreter. We
then proceeded to our original point, and found that while
we were at the service, many "rounds" landed on and around
the bunker where we were going to hold our service.
Our first Marine to be hit last month was the result of a
mortar blast — hitting the man, Private (First Class) Hansen
in the chin, neck and left arm. One of our corpsman was
hit about the same time by a mortar. Our first KIA (killed
in action) was a Lieutenant Stumbo from Lancer, Ky. A
mortar blast hit right over him, and a deep gash right be-
hind the ear did the damage. I had a memorial service for
him by the Battalion Aid Station, just after he was hit, with
his commanding officer and fellow officers paying their last
respects to a fine Marine.
1 Boulder City.
Land mines proved to be a continual source of trouble.
Our patrols were continually stepping on them, and the
terrific blast that it gives a man in the legs is anything but
pretty. We lost quite a few legs because of them. I had
the opportunity on several occasions to help carry some of
these men back up the hills after they were wounded. God
was merciful in particular with two of these men — one Al-
fred Kalinowski, sergeant, had his leg in a horrible condi-
tion. The corpsman did a wonderful job in stopping the
flow of blood, and even though he lost a leg, he is coming
along nicely. Another lad, a big colored boy, stepped on a
mine, and has lost both of his legs, but is coming along in
good shape.
One of our patrols going out to hill No. 90 was ambushed
about 10 p.m. Reinforcements were sent out, and another
group had to be sent out to retrieve that angel squad. We
were busy ministering to the wounded all that night, and
on through the morning. We only were able to get two of
the KIA's, and I had the privilege of taking them back to
our C.P. During the next day we spotted five more dead
lying on the hill, but were unable to go out and pick them
up as Luke had the entire area zeroed in. That evening
the funeral procession went to pick up the fallen Marines.
We plastered the surrounding area with outgoing of various
kinds. The men made a sweep of the hill, picked up seven
valiant Marines. I proceeded with a squad of men to the
bottom of the hill and helped carry those seven out to the
Panmunjom road and safety. As you may observe, we were
right adjacent to the Panmunjom area with its no fire zones,
etc. As I rode back to our Command Post in an APC (ar-
mored personnel cargo) vehicle, I prayed for the next of kin
of each one, and remembered that each one was dear to God,
and to an entire circle of loved ones at home. Right behind
our procession, Luke was blasting our trail with mortars.
Late one evening we received the word that some men on
our left flank had received some mortar blasts. I carried one,
George Hallabaugh, Jr., from Billings, Mont., into the aid
station. He had just received a chest wound, and Dr. Roger
Milnes asked for a copter to take him to the Medical Bat-
talion. We carried George up the hill to the copter strip and
waited for the helicopter. I was holding George's hand, talk-
ing to him, and praying for him. After assisting him in the
copter I gave him a parting prayer, and told him everything
would be all right, and closed the door. We all skooted
down a small bank, hid our eyes from the dust and heard
the copter take off, only to sputter and then saw this horrible
crash with several flashes of light. We raced the 20 yards
to the copter, and I saw three people — two inside the plane,
and one pinned underneath. I asked where the third man
came from, and someone said, "He's one of the guards." Two
guards, who had just joined the outfit, were guarding the
road, and the crash caught both of them, killing them in-
stantly. We got George and the pilot, who were both un-
conscious, out of the copter. George now had his forehead
split somewhat. Another copter was ordered and George
was flown out to Able Med. for treatment, and the pilot who
was all right was sent out by ambulance (crackerbox). We
had a memorial service for the two men killed: Pfc. Floyd
McCoy and Pfc. Delton Mclnnis, the next morning which
was Sunday.
Concerning the helicopter accident and other inci-
187
Worship on the Front.
Chaplain John T. Moore who is pictured here states that this picture was taken during the bitter fighting for "Berlin and
East Berlin" outposts just before the truce in Korea. Several of the marines who received communion were killed the
same day. 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, suffered 450 alone.
Chaplain and Men Before Battle.
A chaplain and marines pause for a moment of prayer before going to battle during the fight for "Boulder City.
— 188
dents, Bakker's citation for a Letter of Commendation
has this to say about the chaplain himself.
Exhibiting personal courage and initiative, he conducted
religious services in front line trenches, bunkers and platoon
areas. Expressing complete disregard for his personal safety
he frequently exposed himself to enemy mortar and artillery
fire to conduct religious services on the main line of resistance
for the marines manning combat outposts. On one occasion,
when a helicopter evacuating a seriously wounded marine
crashed, he personally removed the wounded man, the in-
jured pilot and the bodies of two sentries killed in the crash.
Chaplain John T. Moore, Roman Catholic, sent
some action photographs of the fighting around the
"Berlin and East Berlin" outposts. He stated that
some of the Marines who received Communion were
killed the same day. He states that the ". . . 3-7, 1st
Mar Div suffered 450 casualties alone."
Chaplain Homer L. Schnick, Southern Baptist, has
this to say :
With Chaplain Paul C. Hammerl, I visited the wounded
at "E" Medical Company during the last serious fighting
before the truce in July 1953. A sober sense of the awful
reality of war surrounded the room where the men were being
brought in — ambulatory and stretcher cases. One young
fellow I'll never forget. He was muddy and wet and in
considerable pain and discomfort. Being thirsty, he asked
for a drink. After a corpsman got some wet pads for me,
I cleaned around his mouth, eyes and ears (the mud was
caked in his ears) and applied the pad of water to his lips.
In talking with him, I learned that after he was wounded,
he had been dragged up and down the muddy trench line
by the Communists before being rescued by men of his
outfit. The shock was most evident as the men were first
brought in, but it was amazing to see the men return to
normalcy so rapidly in the succeeding days that we visited
them. One felt a real sense of mission as he assisted the
doctors and corpsmen in their busy times. Once, when talk-
ing with one of the doctors, he said that he didn't know
whether he could take much more or not. It was good to
be able to be there just to talk with them. No door was
closed to the chaplain. He was well received and was an
integral part of the team.
Chaplain Robert E. Brengartner tells of a Navy
Chief Corpsman who was so impressed by the peace
and joy which the Sacraments brought to the wounded
that he himself took instructions and was received
into the church.
Chaplain Brengartner is later awarded the Letter
of Commendation with "Metal Pendant and Combat
Distinguishing Device" authorized. In the citation
are found these words:
During the period when the battalion was engaged in
extensive combat operations against the enemy, he contin-
uously worked long and arduous hours, frequently under
intense enemy shelling in order to provide comfort and aid
to the sick and wounded. His courage and determination
in helping to evacuate and in tendering spiritual consolation
to the severely wounded men won the admiration and confi-
dence of all who served with him.
The following incident demonstrates the type of
work done by the chaplains,
Assisted by a four-man Marine squad Lt. Robert E. Bren-
gartner, CHC, USN, led in the dramatic rescue of a
wounded Puerto Rican Marine left in no man's land, Korea,
by Chinese Red captors.
After a Chinese loudspeaker boomed to United Nations
forces that a "squad would be allowed to remove the soldier
without being fired upon," Chaplain Brengartner led the
Marines toward the victim. Despite his wounds the Marine
tried twice to walk to the Allied line, but collapsed.
On reaching the man, Father Brengartner gave him Ab-
solution. The Marine, clad only in winter underwear and
a sweater stuffed with Red propaganda leaflets, was clutching
his Rosary Beads. The Chinese covered the area with their
rifles but did not fire as the rescuers took him to the Allied
line.
The Truce
Chaplain Bakker - writes concerning the last day
of the war:
I WAS THERE— THE SIGNING OF THE TRUCE
On Monday morning of 27 July at 10 o'clock General
Harrison walked into the Truce Pagoda which we had
watched during its construction from our outpost, sat down,
and signed the truce. Folks — I was there. I decided that
two-fifths ought to be represented, as I came over with the
brigade 3 years ago, and so was present. I sat in the chair
that the general sat in, and had my picture taken. I also
got shots of the general, the pen he used (a Parker 51), and
surrounding areas. It was quiet, semitense, nondramatir
and yet deeply historical. When our grandchildren study
about it in school — you tell them, Uncle Peter, and Grandpa
Pete was there.
The look, and feeling of utter contempt that the Chinese
Communists have for us is something to see. I felt like
decking the entire group of them. The hatred in their
eyes seems to stem from the bottom of their high top boots.
Chaplain Hutcheson states that "Three out of four
'Services of Thanksgiving for Peace Restored,' con-
ducted on the day the Korean Armistice was signed
(during 12-hour period between signing and effective
hour) were interrupted by incoming artillery fin!''
Chaplain Meachum was asked for a statement for
the press :
He wanted my reaction to the truce which had been
signed a short distance up the road at Pan-Munjan. My
first reaction was: Thank God this "Meat grinder" has
stopped. The more I thought, the harder it was for me to
give a short concise statement.
Briefly I would like to write a few thoughts and reactions.
2 Chaplain Bakker is known among other things for his
ability as a wrestler. He at one time asserted that he found
a better counseling relationship after wrestling with a man.
189
First, I thought of our front line troops who have been
fighting in the Division in Korea since August 3, 1950. Of
course, many who fought with this Division have gone home.
Such places as Inchon, Chosen Basin, Seoul, Pusan Perim-
eter. In these places the Marines fought a moving war, but
on March 15, 1952, this Division moved from the east coast
to the west coast of the 155 mile battle front and relieved
the ROKs about 30 miles north west of Seoul with Pan-
Munjan located in the center of our front.
Here we have fought a bloody, vicious, trench, bunker,
and outpost stalemate. Patrols went out in front of the
Main Line of Resistance each night. Artillery pounded and
planes rained fire on the enemy around the clock until 10
p.m., July 27, 1953. The last 27 days of fighting were as
vicious as any battles previously fought.
I went to a battalion command post on the 27th to visit
Chaplain E. O. Floyd. While talking to him, a young Ma-
rine who was muddy and tired walked up to us and asked
for communion. His request was from a heart of gratitude
that the firing had stopped.
At another battalion, I found Chaplain C. P. Hoff wet
with perspiration at the close of a thanksgiving service. In
the same chapel where he had conducted his service, Chap-
lain R. E. Brengartner was holding Mass. And so it was
with other chaplains all along the line.
For the officers and men there was rest and sleep) — a
chance to bathe and wash clothes. Yet they know that the
job here is not over until the terms of the truce have been
effected.
Second, I thought of answered prayers. Here is a quote
from a letter which I picked up on the battle front: "I would
love to see you tonight. Well, Ray, you be good and pray.
I am praying for you every day and night for the dear Lord
to watch over you and take care of you and bring you back
home safe and all right. The dear Lord is good and He
will hear and answer prayers if we have faith in Him and put
our trust in Him. Love, Mother."
The above statement is virtually the same thing that Lt.
General William K. Harrison, the head of our truce delega-
tion, said to me on Monday when I commented in his quar-
ters at Base Camp that I know he is happy that the pressure
on him will be relieved now that a truce has been signed.
Third, I thought when I heard the last firing mission of
our 155-mm howitzer — the battery fired about an hour be-
fore the flares were fired over the battle lines signaling cease
fire — How long will our guns remain silent in the face of our
enemy? I hope that I will never have to hear them "bark"
again. When will human beings stop trying to destroy each
other?
One fact remains evident. We must be alert and on guard
until the Communists show good faith in trying to bring
about peace.
Fourth, the Christian and charitable relations cultivated
between the officers and men of the 8th Army and Koreans
make this beautiful country one of the most promising mis-
sion fields in the world. The old oriental religions are empty
and do not hold inspiration, hope, and salvation. Koreans
are turning to Christianity. Conditions here are as they
were in the Greek and Roman culture during the 1st century
when Christianity overcame paganism.
Awards:
A number of chaplains were recognized for their
fine work during this period. Chaplain Newman was
again decorated. This time it was the Bronze Star.
Concerning his work the citation informs one that :
Working long hours under adverse conditions, he person-
ally met each casualty as he arrived at the aid stations, re-
gardless of the hour, both day and night. He wrote to the
realtives of each man, regardless of the seriousness of the
disability and followed the initial correspondence with prog-
ress report letters. He spent countless hours traveling to
various aid stations and hospitals where casualties of the
battalion had been evacuated for treatment. Despite the
extreme danger, he often held religious services on the main
line of resistance and voluntarily advanced to the outpost
positions forward of the main lines in order to be of service
to the Marines in these exposed areas. Through his deter-
mined efforts and understanding attitude, he restored con-
fidence in many of the battle weary Marines who had been
sent to rear areas as a result of excessive front line duty.
The other Bronze Star was awarded to Chaplain
Elmer F. Ernst
... he frequently made visits to tank crewmen who were
manning positions on the main line of resistance. Expressing
complete disregard for his personal safety, he repeatedly
exposed himself to murderous hostile mortar and artillery
fire in order to reach the tank crewmen and offer them
spiritual guidance. He voluntarily and habitually was
aboard armored vehicles when they were employed in the
evacuation of wounded Marines and so was enabled to render
aid, spiritual assistance and consolation to the many wounded.
The "Commendation Metal Pendant" with Combat
"V" was awarded to Chaplain John B. Conlon, Roman
Catholic, Chaplain Roger L. Crabtree, Methodist, and
Chaplain Samuel D. Chambers. Chaplain Conlon
. . displayed outstanding ability and professional skill.
His highly commendable ministrations to the wounded and
sick aided immeasurably in the excellent morale sustained
among the patients. When heavy casualties arrived, he
demonstrated outstanding attention to duty and personally
rendered spiritual guidance and advice to those in need.
Throughout the entire period, he diligently brought to each
wounded Marine consolation and spiritual comfort which
contributed materially in the treatment of pain and suffering.
It is said of Chaplain Crabtree that
... he exhibited tireless efforts and outstanding attention
to duty as he regularly visited the widely scattered elements of
the battalion, as well as the provisional regiment of which the
battalion was a part, in order to minister to the needs of the
men. Sustaining an exceptionally vigorous schedule, he
normally conducted 14 religious services each week. These
included services at the forward elements of the unit where
he was sometimes exposed to enemy artillery and mortar fire.
Of Chaplain Chambers it is said that
On numerous occasions, he disregarded his personal safety
and visited the main line of resistance units in order to render
190 —
Flying Chaplain.
Chaplain Leo F. Rice adjusts his parachute in preparation for
a takeoff in a Marine aerial observation plane. His destina-
tion is the camp of a Marine observation squadron and his
mission is to hold mass.
counsel and words of encouragement to Marines during
intense enemy mortar and artillery fire. On one occasion,
ignoring his own safety, he skillfully assisted in the evacuation
of one wounded and two dead Marines. During a critical
3-day period when a strategic position was being subjected to
vicious hostile attacks, he continually attended to the spiritual
needs of wounded Marines brought to the battalion aid
station.
Although the citations may sound repetitious, it is
a repetition which brings great glory to the U.S. Naval
Chaplain Corps. Attention is called to Chaplain
Crabtree's work with civilians in his citation.
His effective personal contacts with the large Korean ci-
vilian population throughout the sector and his support of
Korean religious and charitable organizations established
cordial relations which assisted materially in the successful
accomplishment of the unit's assigned mission.
Chaplain Rice writing on 20 July concerning his
return from the front, tells of his work with the Com-
bat Service Group in Masan. He states that the "big
problem here is to keep the men busy on the compound
so that the moral problems can be licked." Academic
work and vocational courses were offered and plans
were laid for hobby programs. A citation in connec-
tion with the award of a Bronze Star on October 1953
states that he continually demonstrated
. . . Exceptional ability in dealing with the most difficult
ieligious. morale and personal problems. His skillful coordi-
nation and efficient administration of the charitable efforts of
the command increased the prestige of the United States
Forces in the area. Disregarding his personal fatigue, he
conscientiously worked extremely long hours in order to
effectively discharge his responsibilities.
Concerning his previous work the citation has this
to say:
... he frequently went to the scene of battle to administer
last rites to the dead and offer prayers for the wounded.
He diligently visited the sick and wounded in hospitals and
regularly visited refugee villages in the vicinity of the regi-
ment to offer religious guidance to the predominantly
Christian population. In the absence of chaplains in other
United Nations units, he visited those units to conduct serv-
ices and attend to the religious needs of the personnel.
Another Roman Catholic Chaplain, John T. Moore,
received the Bronze Star for the period 2 April-
1 August. One learns that:
When the infantry companies and other elements of the
regiment were committed to the main line of resistance
and subjected to intense action, he expressed complete
disregard for his personal safety and traveled over roads
that were under constant enemy observation and frequent
mortar and artillery fire in order to carry out his duties.
He was continuously on hand at forward aid stations adminis-
tering both spiritual and physical aid to the wounded men.
He made daily visits to the men on the main line of resist-
ance, holding services in bunkers and exerting every effort
to administer spiritual guidance to the men.3
"Sunday Routine"
A Marine Correspondent, M. Sgt. James F. Frye
writes of the Chaplain's Sunday activity. He fol-
lowed Chaplain Homer L. Schnick, Southern Baptist,
of the 7th Regiment. There were four services that
day. The regimental service consisted of Marines and
a British Commonwealth Division. Late in the after-
noon there was a visit to the MLR, ". . . the busy
chaplain climbed precipitous hills to reach defensive
positions sprinkled over rugged countryside so he could
spend time with those in need of his advice and
counsel."
The 1st Marine Air Wing
Most of the information on the work of the Chap-
lains of the Wing comes from their citations. Men-
tion has been made of Chaplain E. C. Mulligan's
Commendation, but it should also be noted that he
was instrumental in the establishment of a special
Catholic Orphanage nursery for destitute infants at
Pohang, Korea.
He enhanced goodwill for United Nations forces through
his ceaseless endeavors to aid needy civilians and by main-
' Chaplain Moore was wounded the day before the truce
was signed, and thus became the last naval chaplain casualty
of the Korean conflict. Chaplain Willetts was wounded
about 2 weeks earlier.
191
taining liaison with the Korean Catholic Bishop of the
Taegu Diocese . . . Dedicated to the humanitarian prin-
ciples embodied in the precepts of his faith, Commander
Mulligan's activities resulted directly in greater comfort and
welfare for hundreds of helpless Korean families and orphans
and enhanced the morale and efficiency of the 1st Marine
Aircraft Wing.
He was detached in June.
Chaplain Parker was relieved as Wing Chaplain in
May by Chaplain Allen Jones, Presbyterian, US. On
25 June Chaplain John J. Burns relieved Chaplain
Mulligan. Chaplain Gordon Griffin reported aboard
in May. Chaplain Lineberger left in May. He had
been cited by the Korean government and also had
been awarded the Bronze Star. For the latter it was
said that he
. . . supervised the construction and furnishing of [a] chapel
where he instituted regular classes in religious instruction,
and often led services for congregations of other religious
denominations when chaplains for those faiths were com-
mitted elsewhere in the forward area. Sparing no efforts to
aid the less fortunate in the war-torn country, he participated
in the establishment of two separate orphanages for helpless
Korean children and was largely responsible for the creation
of the United States Marine Memorial Children's Clinic
designated to provide advance medical care for destitute
women and children in the vicinity of Pohang. In addition,
he was instrumental in the purchase of rice land for hungry
Koreans and in the delivery of tons of clothing and toys to
needy civilians in the combat zone. By his inspiring efforts,
resourceful initiative and unswerving devotion to duty,
Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Lineberger directly aided in
increasing the health, comfort, and welfare of hundreds of
helpless Korean families and orphans and contributed mate-
rially to the overall morale and efficiency of the two Marine
Aircraft Groups.
The citation by Korea was like the one received by
Chaplain Parker. It concluded,
His demonstration of energetic efforts and generosity in
working for the betterment of the Korean war orphans
left homeless in the midst of the war in which the peace-
loving people stand firm in the path of aggression to safe-
guard freedom and human dignity has elicited the highest
possible praise from all those cognizant of his fine spirit.
Chaplain Fenstermacher tells of his contacts with
the Korean chaplains,4
In Pusan I had contacts with the chaplains of the Republic
of Korea Navy Chaplain Corps. Their Chief of Chaplains.
Cmdr. D. B. Chung, ChC, ROKN, had his offices there.
My first contact with the ROK Navy chaplains, however,
came through their Senior Chaplain of the Korean Marine
Corps, Lt. Cmdr. C. S. Park, who visited me at our Battalion
Headquarters early in January 1953. Chaplain Park and
I discussed the work of a chaplain in general, as well as
the language barrier ... I helped him out with quantities
of chaplain supplies ... I met the Chief of Chaplains, as
well as all his chaplains who served the ROK Navy and
Marine Corps, nine altogether. All are men consecrated to
God as far as I could see, serious about their work, and
hard workers.
On 14 June 1953 I was guest preacher at a Divine Service
in which we commemorated the Fifth Anniversary of Chap-
lain activities in the ROK Navy. I preached in English
and Chaplain Chung interpreted what I said in Korean.
The service was held in the Korean Navy Church in Pusan,
the church being set up in the well deck of an LST which is
tied up to the dock at Pier No. 1 in Pusan and used for
church services every Sunday. Nearly 500 attended this
anniversary service, including high-ranking ROK Navy offi-
cers, the ROK Navy Band, and a large well-trained choir.
"MSTS"
One chaplain 5 submits a very interesting account
of a draft of Marines arriving in the Far East just
after the truce had been signed.
The fighting in Korea was very fierce last summer and
replacement drafts from Camp Pendleton were seriously
training for combat. I was given the task to accompany
the July 1953 replacement draft to Korea. We were to travel
on the USNS GEN. NELSON M. WALKER and there was a
Protestant chaplain aboard. I was to conduct Catholic
services for the men.
It was a noisy group of Marines that I joined in San
Diego, on July 16, 1953. The next afternoon we were given
quite a farewell with the Marine Corps band and three
generals to see us off. The approaching dangers of combat
were forgotten for the moment as the ship sailed out of the
harbor. Most of the men were looking at the pier for a
last glimpse of a relative or friend. Others just gazed
at the city and wondered when they would see San Diego
again. The older men realized that some of these men
would probably never see the United States again for they
would be in combat in a few weeks.
As we neared Japan the tension mounted and the men
spent more time at church services, preparing their souls
should they be called upon to sacrifice their lives. The news
dispatches were avidly read daily. The mail boxes were
always crammed with letters to mothers and fathers, to wives
and sweethearts.
But it was a wonderful feeling when the news of the truce
reached us three days out of Japan. The carefree attitude
of the young men returned and a prayer of thanksgiving was
sent heavenward. We all looked forward to Japan and
Korea confident that the danger of death was passed.
The conditions of the truce made it impossible to enter
Korea immediately and we went from Kobe, Japan to Sasebo,
Japan where we spent 5 days. It gave us an opportunity to
see a bit of the Japanese people and customs. Finally on
August 7 we arrived at Inchon, Korea, and were put ashore.
Again the conditions of the truce changed our plans. We
were not allowed to bring any weapons ashore with us and
all rifles and pistols were collected. [A] provision of the truce
specified that we could not add to our forces in Korea. So
before we could land, troops to be taken to the United States,
had to be taken aboard. We used a shuttle system. First
*Cp. pp. 107ff.
' This account is credited to Chaplain Normand A. Ricard.
192
a boatload of men would board the ship and would return
with their replacements. As I was in the liaison group that
was on T.A.D. orders I was in the first group to leave the
ship. But it was a happy, excited group of Marines, to whom
I waved goodby.
As we approached the landing at Inchon, I thanked God
that the truce had been signed and prayed that the peace
would be permanent and that no more lives would be sacri-
ficed for the preservation of freedom.
Forces Afloat
During this period a variety of items of iterest come
from the Fleet. Chaplain Ralph Handran, Roman
Catholic, speaks of the transporting of prisoners. He
states that the ANDERSON usually carried 45
prisoners from the Far East. For the most part they
were men who had gotten into difficulty in Korea and
had been sentenced by courts-martial. They were
very bitter and the chaplain held services for them in
the brig on Sundays because they did not want to
appear on deck.
Work aboard the hospital ships continued. Chap-
lain Luther E. Olmon, Lutheran, in the REPOSE
wrote,
At present we are in Korean waters supporting the
Marines. The Korean truce talks seem to be at a standstill
at this time. Our patient load has kept about the same.
The chaplains have a fine opportunity aboard a hospital
ship.
Circuit riding was rather commonplace. Chap-
lains Andrew J. Grygiel in the ORISKANY, and
Lawrence R. Phillips in the ESSEX speak of transfers
by highline and helicopter to other ships in the task
force. Chaplain Gordian V. Erlacher tells of being
transported from the NEW JERSEY to Wonsan Har-
bor to conduct services on the Island of Yodo. Where
circuit riding was not possible Lay Leaders are
reported doing a fine job. For example, on the
JOHN R. CRAIG, Catholic Services were led by the
Executive Officer and Protestant Services by the First
Lieutenant. The destroyer MOALE had an or-
dained Baptist minister in the Gunnery Department
who not only had held services all around the globe
on naval vessels, but on this ship he found time to
mimeograph bulletins for all Catholic and Protestant
services held aboard ship and to broadcast his own
religious program over the ship's PA system each
Wednesday. On one cruise he organized a choir of
45 voices consisting of officers and enlisted men.
It is encouraging to find that some of the ships
during the Korean conflict found room enough aboard
ship to set up a chapel. This has been something of
an accepted custom in the British Navy. Chaplain
B. E. Heuer, Lutheran, reports that the CORREGI-
DOR set up a permanent chapel in the quarters
formerly used as a Pilot's Ready Room.
Chaplain George W. Thompson, who as an enlisted
man in World War I rose to Quartermaster Second,
was doing a fine job on the VALLEY FORGE. His
Sunday starts with
... a Communion service, includes Sunday School classes
and two regular church services, and ends with a Protestant
Fellowship and Evangelistic Service. During the week, he
leads a Bible class which meets three times a week, and
holds Protestant Devotional Services twice daily — in the
early morning and late evening. He is continuing a tradi-
tion carried out by his predecessors on the ship by pronounc-
ing a short prayer for all hands at "Tatoo" over the ship's
public address system.
In summary it is seen that this period began with
the conflict still in progress. Several bitter battles
were fought. Once again the chaplains had acquitted
themselves in a manner to deserve high praise. The
truce was signed and with it were to come different
problems to surmount ; different victories to be
achieved.
— 193
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ARMISTICE AFTERMATH
27 July 1953-27 July 1954
It was an uneasy truce but peace had come to a war
torn area. The United States, as did the United
Nations, recognized the Korean campaign as
active for the campaign ribbon could still be earned
for the period ending 27 July 1954. ' It is this date
that has been considered as the end of the Korean
Police Action.
The summer was best known for "Big Switch" and
then inevitably there was another Korean winter. By
this time there were a number of shifts in personnel.
The 1st Marine Division
On 1 August the Divisions withdrew to lines stipu-
lated by the Armistice agreement. Soon thereafter
there began a very busy period for the Marines for on
5 August "Operation Big Switch" was set in motion.
This return of Allied prisoners of war began at "Free-
dom Village" which was located in the 1st Marine
Division sector. On 4 September the 1st Provisional
Demilitarized Zone Military Police Company was
activated from 1st Division troops, for the purpose of
enforcing the neutrality of the buffer zone between the
territory of the United Nations and North Korea.
"Operation Big Switch" was completed on 6 Septem-
ber. The Division now devoted most of its time to
training and position improvement and in the program
of Armed Forces aid to Korea for reconstruction and
rehabilitation of that war torn country. There was a
short period ending on 21 January 1954, when the
last of the prisoner exchanges took place with the
transfer from the Division's area of those prisoners of
war who refused to return to their lines.
It is evident that many units held memorial services.
The 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, had theirs on 9 August
at which General Pate dedicated the memorial wreath.
It was about this time that the commanding general
also presented to the 30 division chaplains the new
altar kits. These were described as
. . . resembling a woman's large shoulder pocketbook, are
made of canvas and contain vestments, altar linen and all
other necessities for conducting church services in the field.
Eventually, they will be issued to "Padres" serving with all
Marine divisions and to a few on small naval craft.
Big Switch
"Now hear this. Now hear this." Over the loudspeaker
comes an authoritative voice. "Serial Two passed Check
Point Five at one — zero — three — two hours. Approximate
time of arrival, 3 minutes. All processing personnel man
your stations." *
Marine M.P.'s, Navy corpsmen, Army and Marine per-
sonnel men. Chaplain Meachum accompanied by four Prot-
estant and four Catholic chaplains together with all others
concerned with the reception of American repatriates move
quickly to their posts. On a platform overlooking the
entrance to the building, press photographers ready their
cameras.
Into the enclosure moves a line of ambulances, their
great red crosses bright against squares of white. From
them emerge young Americans of all sizes and shades of
color, most of them in the shapeless blue cotton outfits
furnished by the Chinese Communists but some stripped to
their white cotton shorts, clutching ditty bags with their
few personal belongings. Strong hands help them down
from the vehicles ; warm smiles greet them. Some shout
"Freedom! Freedom! Wonderful Freedom! " Some hop out
of the ambulances without saying a word ; their eyes and
expressions bespeak a new life and a new hope. A few are
brought out on stretchers, but the greater part walk eagerly
and unassisted through the wide doorway under the red and
gold sign "Gateway to Freedom."
At the first station the returnees are dusted with dis-
infectants to reduce the possibility of disease. Next they
are given a preliminary medical check. It is determined
whether they are physically fit to continue the rest of the
processing which includes among other things an interview
by the press and regular chow. Tags are given noting these
facts. At the third station they are registered with repre-
sentatives of the Adjutant General's Corps of Marine person-
nel and the names of their next of kin are checked. The
Adjutant General will notify their next of kin regarding
their recovery and general physical condition. Then, tagged
1 No engagement star was authorized as the actual fighting
had ceased.
"' This account is a compilation of various chaplains'
accounts.
194-
Memorial Services.
The National Colors are carried to the 2d Battalion, 5th
Marines Chapel as the memorial services begin in memory'
of the men in the battalion who have lost their lives in
Korea.
and clutching numerous papers as well as their ditty bags,
the repatriates meet the chaplain at the fourth station.'1
Chaplain Meachum says, "We were standing in our
section of the processing lines by our altars ready to
extend the hand of Christian fellowship to soldiers and
marines of many nations.'' The room was dominated
by a large mural depicting the varied activities of chap-
lains with the 1st Marine Division. Chaplain
Meachum describes the setting
We made our sections as attractive as possible by getting
flowers from the hillsides. We pinned the religious posters,
church pennants, and spare altar cloths to the walls of the
tents. The impression on the prisoners was terrific — as
well as on generals, newspaper men, photographers, and all
hands who were engaged in the processing work.
The chaplain extends his hand in warm welcome to
the serviceman. After a brief get acquainted period,
the chaplain determines the religious affiliation of the
man. If not of his own faith the man is introduced
to a chaplain who is. The chaplains claim the men
3 Note: Chaplain William H. Vinson tells us that "as
planning for 'Big Switch' came into its final stages, the many-
lessons learned during 'Little Switch' were applied. One of
these lessons had to do with the chaplains section in the
processing line. It was decided that food for the soul should
come before the food for the body. In the previous opera-
tion, the chaplains section was set up behind the nourishment
section and offered very little privacy or atmosphere of
reverence to the worshipers."
In a service conducted by Chaplain Peter J. Bakker the names are read of those who gave the supreme sacrifice and who
were members of the 2d Battalion, 5th Marines.
r,:'.r>.':;!2 O— 60 14
— 195
Altar Kit.
Chaplain John T. Moore shoulders the new compact altar
kit provided by the Chaplains Division. It is designed
to make it easier for chaplains of all faiths to bring church
services to marines in the field.
A closeup of the contents of the kit.
of their own faith and sit down with them for a
friendly chat. The Catholic chaplain dons a violet
stole, hears confessions, administers communion, and
presents rosaries, medals, prayerbooks, and missals as
desired.
Chaplain Rice, says,
Because we were not certain of the physical condition of
the returning PW's at Freedom Village the priests of the
Marine Division were ready to give the sacraments to any
requesting them. The idea caught the imagination of the
PW's and a great percentage wanted communion after con-
fession. Having chapels at Freedom Village turned out
to be a big consolation to men of all faiths. One cor-
respondent said to the Catholic Far East news represent-
ative: "How come the priests are administering confession
and communion to the PW's? After all you don't meet
people with the sacraments coming back from a trip." I
proposed this to one of the returning prisoners. He an-
swered : "I spent 3 years in prison and I examined my con-
science all the time. I sure want to go to confession. I'm
starting in a new life right here."
Another Roman Catholic Chaplain, Paul C. Ham-
mer], has these incidents to relate,
. . . listen to some of them at Freedom Village. "I never
prayed before at home but, I prayed up there and I don't
see why I should stop now." "My girl tried to get me to
go to church, but I couldn't see why then, but now I know
better." "I didn't have many instructions in the faith,
but I will learn all I can in the future."
If you may think God isn't in the hearts of our young
men, listen to their stories and see how they formed study
clubs, how they exchanged thoughts of God as often as they
could. It would do many a doubter good to see the crosses
they molded out of toothpaste tubes so they could have a
reminder of Christ about their person. Some had Bibles
they received years ago from their pastor, now worn and
well used. Others on their own, bound up their Bibles to
make them last and treasured them above everything else.
Our men came back with little in the way of material goods,
but if they had salvaged and saved a medal, a Bible, or a
rosary, they took it along to bring back home. One lad
carried a Bible of his buddy who died. "I want to give it
to his mother to show her he prayed and used it regularly."
What a consolation such will be for the brokenhearted
mother.
For adherents of Judaism, Chaplain Murray I.
Rothman was present to take them before the Ark
with its sacred scrolls of the Torah (Law) for the
traditional prayers of Israel. Protestant chaplains
held services of thanksgiving and served communion
to those who desired it. Chaplain William H. Vinson
affirms that over one-half of the men did receive Com-
munion. Chaplain Walter H. Nordby tells of some
of the experiences of the men,
One prisoner looked at you and in reverent tones slowly
196
Big Switch.
Chaplain R. N. Stretch, 11th Marines, holds service for two
repatriated POW's at Freedom Village Chapel.
Chaplain Paul C. Hammerl counsels with a returned POW at
Freedom Village.
Division Chaplain Francis T. O'Leary administers communion during a mass celebrated at Freedom Village for UN POW's
repatriated from North Korea on 6 September 1953 at Munsan-ni.
said, "Thank God I am here able to experience this moment
of freedom after 32 months of living hell."
Another rather thin, but sun-tanned southern soldier
quietly stated, "We had a couple of good fellows who held
services for us whenever possible." One tall Texan said,
"They took our Testaments away and only let us have short
supervised services on Christmas and Easter."
A great number of the returning Americans wore lead
crosses made from melted toothpaste tubes. Catholics and
Protestants alike possessed them.
As you looked into the eyes of these men you felt proud
of them. Think of what they had endured for their country.
Think of the one named Valdery who showed you a torn bit
of scripture he had carried all the way. He said, "The
Lord has been with me through two death marches, first
Bataan and now this past one. I want to thank Him now."
. . . You can't help but remember the proud Marine who
came through the gate that separated the Americans from the
Commonwealth and other U.N. troops. The officer asked,
"American?" The reply was, "Yes, Sir!" Not this
fellow, he replied, "Marine, Sir!" He was courteous and you
immediately liked him — you were proud he was a 7 th
Marine — your outfit.
. . . There were some sad moments, men on stretchers,
some men with Chinese symbols like the dove of peace of Chi-
nese numbers tatooed on them like medieval prisoners . . .
Life would hold great moments ahead for all, even the sad.
As one man said, "Today it is like I have been born all over
again."
Chaplain Robert W. Smith tells the story of an Air
Force sergeant who was shot down while making a
bombing raid over North Korea. He descended by
parachute into the midst of enemy troops. He
resigned himself to immediate death or torture. He
was overwhelmed by a longing to live. As he walked
off toward prison he could hardly believe his ears for
he heard North Korean children singing, "Jesus loves
me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so." This
one song changed his outlook "and he felt if these
children can sing about Jesus then surely they do have
respect for life." He
. . . came back to tell that story. He wasn't a church
member, he seldom went to church, he had taken Christianity
for granted and now he realized that America's greatness was
not in her tanks, planes, or bombs but in her God, in Jesus
Christ, her Freedom, everything revolved around Him,
and it took that simple little Sunday School song, "Jesus
Loves Me" to awaken him.
... I have seen them accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour
as they knelt at the altar here in Freedom Village, I have
heard them tell me how Christ saved them at the prison
camps, how they were "Born again" — a spiritual birth into
God's Kingdom. I have watched tears roll down sunken,
sun-tanned cheeks as we talked about our Lord. I have
heard men tell me that if God calls them they will become
missionaries.
Chaplain Vinson states,
In the early months of the war, no religious services
were permitted in the camps. Some few loyal Christians
began to request permission to hold services. One lay
preacher, Alfonso Johnson, from Columbus, Ohio, likened
his experiences to those of the Apostle Paul, as he too,
was jailed for attempting to hold services. I asked where
he found words of comfort and encouragement in the time
of trials. He replied, "I just kept reading more about Paul,
finding that he met the same problems as I, and was
triumphant, many years ago." In later months the prison
officials permitted the men to hold religious worship services
in small groups under the watchful eye of an interpreter.
On occasions like Christmas and Easter, large services were
held with excessive photographic coverage for propaganda
purposes.
Most of the men desired to stop for a moment of prayer
in thanksgiving to God for their freedom and His ministry
to them during the long prison months. We retired to one
of the small chapels, located adjacent to the waiting room,
to bow in a moment of prayer. It was indeed a privilege
to kneel there before the altar and pray with these men.
More touching was the occasional man who desired to lead
in prayer himself. These men poured out their hearts to
God in joyful thanksgiving at their first opportune moment
after coming back to freedom.
Some stories were elicited by the question put by
Chaplain Vinson, "Do you have your New Testament
with you?" Many said,
. . . that their Testament was taken from them along with
other possessions when they were captured. Some lost them
in the hospitals. Some reached down in their personal
effects bag and brought out their prized possession, a well
worn dog-eared Testament. Many had crude canvas backs;
the result of a prison camp rebinding to try to preserve the
book. On the pages of these testaments were marked the
favorite passages that had brought comfort in the time of
misery, hope in the time of despair, light in the time of
darkness. All the men liked to tell about the place the New
Testament had played in their lives. Each man was pre-
sented with a fresh, new Testament to carry with him on his
journey back home.
Chaplain Bakker said that the men told him, "You
couldn't get my New Testament from me" and showed
him copies well worn and somewhat frayed.
After a final blessing the man next goes to the
Refreshment Section. The procedure for the rest
of his time at Freedom Village is described by Chap-
lain Stretch,
In the Refreshment Section is usually a general of the
Army or the Marine Corps to greet and chat with his
men. From here those who wish to be interviewed by-
newspaper and magazine correspondents are taken into the
Press Section. Then come ditty bags of toilet articles handed
out by an attractive Red Cross girl, the shedding of prison
clothes and hot showers. In pajamas, bathrobe, and slippers
the man proceeds into the Army Evacuation Hospital set up
alongside the warehouse, for chest X-ray and thorough
physical examination. Here he has his dinner and receives
any mail which awaits him. Later, returning to the ware-
house, he is issued new clothing of his own branch of service
and waits for further transportation to Inchon and the
ships which will take him to the United States. His waiting
is in a comfortable lounge maintained by the Red Cross,
where light refreshments are served and the scenes and events
of home are presented in posters, photographs, magazines,
and newspapers.
Chaplain Bakker also has this general note,
On Wednesday, 5 August at 9 a.m. we started receiving
our POWs. I was on hand to shake the hand of nearly all
our UN personnel, and many of the South Koreans. The
number of Marines returned was very few. The first one of
our men that I welcomed there in the shadow of the Truce
Pagoda was Pfc. Francis E. Kohus. Jr., from Cincinnati,
Ohio. He was captured on Warsaw in 52. One of the lads
returned was captured in March of this year on Vegas, where
this outfit suffered many casualties. I had a service with
his company last week, and will have another one there every
Thursday.
As you have read in the papers, the men were not too
emotional — they looked as though they had all the stuffings
beat out of them. By contrast — these Communists come
by singing and shouting and waving their flags — there goes
another truck load of them. Of course our men have
been beaten down for a long time, without proper food —
they told me that two of our chaplains starved to death —
one of whom was repeatedly kicked in the stomach. The
commies never had it so good with food, medicine, etc.
On the 10th of this month I saw the men being loaded on
an LST, awaiting transportation out to the GENERAL
WALKER for passage home — they still looked somewhat
gaunt, peaked, and washed out. The trip home with good
food, etc., should do them a world of good.
Chaplain Meachum concludes with this statement,
When the gate swung wide on 5 August at Freedom
Village, ambulances, 4 to 6 in a serial, came through 3 or
4 times a day with returning POW's to be processed, 341
Americans were received. Approximately 90 percent of
these were Negroes. This week was a "field day" for me as a
Baptist chaplain, because most of these men were Baptists.
They greeted me, one after another, with a big smile,
"Chaplain, I've been waiting many months to talk to you!"
Whereupon they would pour out their hearts in relating
their religious experiences during the long months of their
imprisonment. They were permitted to gather in large num-
bers for religious services on special occasions, such as
Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Many of them related
that they had gathered in small groups regularly to worship.
The first man with whom I talked, by the name of Dobbins,
told me from his stretcher that he conducted services until
he became ill and was sent to the hospital.
The chaplains of the 1st Marine Division were designated
to minister at Freedom Village under the Detachment Com-
mand of Colonel Metz, USMC. The 25 chaplains of the
division will participate in the entire processing with groups
of 8 working 1 week at a time. At the end of this first
week, every chaplain who participated, including Protestants,
Catholics, and a Jewish chaplain, had a rich experience in
his religious ministry . . . For all these returned, we chap-
lains thanked God that these have been able to endure the
awful hardships of the Chinese Communist's imprisonment.
. . . One said that he was a Christian before being cap-
tured, but that while he was in prison God laid His hand on
him, calling him to become a minister of the Gospel, and so
he will go to school in Atlanta, Ga., to prepare himself.
It is in order here to quote Chaplain John W.
Berger, Methodist, who was in the GEN. N. M.
WALKER,
While aboard the GEN. N. M. WALKER (T-AP125)
the first group of returning prisoners in Operation Big Switch
were brought aboard at Inchon. Chaplains at Freedom
Village had evidently done an excellent job of ministering to
the immediate needs of these men. It fell to us (Maj. Henry
Durand, USA, Roman Catholic, and myself, Protestant) to
accompany these men back to the States.
The constant interrogation to which these men were sub-
mitted left little time for planned religious activity.
Consequently, while we had two services daily (one each),
most of our time with these men was spent regularly at
irregular hours. We spent this time in their berthing com-
partments talking both with individuals and groups as the
occasion presented itself. However, I did not once leave
a compartment without one man asking, "Chaplain, could I
talk with you a few minutes?" — and often it was two or
three asking.
All the 300 plus men certainly knew there were chaplains
aboard during those 2 weeks enroute home. But some
in particular sought us out. My memory still vividly recalls
the confidences brought to me by men who now had a new
fear — of their own companions. There were at least a half
dozen with whom I counseled that had yielded to the pressure
of prison life and availed too much of enemy propaganda.
But it was not ours, as chaplains, to investigate. For
such matters we urged re-counsel with the CIC team aboard.
As such, we, as chaplains, acted in the true and accepted
capacity of letting the confessor think out loud and begin
that period of catharsis which would in some measure bring
him back into harmony with his prior environment.
In addition, there were all the rest who reflected their
months in prison with that noticeable reticence to converse
with anyone. And I think this is where we did our best
work — by simply being among them hours at a time, working
quietly, slowly, in Christian love and fellowship. (My own
particular interest in the returning prisoners lay in the fact
that somewhere among them was a young man who had been
a part of my young people's group, and because of a broken
home, also a part of my own home. I looked anxiously for
him, but he was not among this first group.)
Besides the above mentioned "progressives," I had partic-
ular fellowship with one Negro sergeant. He had led many
of the religious services while in prison camps and had a
particular ministry through music. He provided three quar-
tets while aboard ship, indicating that that was one of their
means while in camp to revive their spiritual needs. The two
of us worked together in the compartments.
While much will be written about these men, more will be
left unsaid. God only knows how so many men survived the
ordeals reflected in their thoughts and bodies. It seemed a
— 199 —
little out of place to have such a grandiose welcome by tele-
vision, bands and speeches upon arrival in the States — these
men who simply wanted to return to the peace and quiet of
their homes.
Chaplain Bakker tells of the return of General Dean,
stating that he
. . . was returned just like the rest of the officers and men.
He rode in the same ambulance, went through the same line,
and knelt in prayer in the same chapel for a prayer of thanks-
giving. He wanted everyone to know that, "I was not hunt-
ing tanks with a bazooka when I was captured."
It was during "Big Switch" that Chaplain
Meachum was relieved by Chaplain Francis T.
O'Leary as Division Chaplain of the 1st Marine
Division. As a result both participated in the pro-
gram. Both were cited for their work. Concerning
the work of Chaplain Meachum, for which he was
awarded the Bronze Star, one reads,
. . . Frequently making trips throughout the division area, in
most adverse conditions, he expressed complete disregard for
his personal welfare in order that all the Marines might
receive the opportunity to attend services of their own
particular faith. During the repatriation of United Nations
personnel from enemy prison camps, he was constantly
present to insure that the men who had undergone the hard-
ships of prison life had every opportunity to receive, upon
their return, the spiritual guidance they so eagerly sought.
Commander Meachum's highly competent leadership, organi-
zational ability, and tireless efforts served as an inspiration
to all who observed him.
Chaplain Meachum summarized the Big Switch
Operation by saying that
... of the 3,600 prisoners passing through to Freedom, at
least 95 percent sought religious assurance and comfort
as their first act; from the chapels they went on to those
other comforts of the American way of life — ice cream and
fresh milk. To the 3,600 freed prisoners the chaplains gave
out 1,800 new testaments, 500 rosaries.
Some of the Participating Chaplains in Big Switch.
A photograph taken at the time of the relief of Chaplain Lonnie Meachum by Frank T. O'Leary as division chaplain.
Pictured are (first row, left to right) W. H. Vinson; F. T. O'Leary; Major General Burger; Major General Pate;
Colonel Nelson; L. W. Meachum; E. V. Lyons. (Second row. left to right) P. J. Bakker; L. F. Rice; S. D. Chambers;
E. F. Ernst; R. N. Stretch; J. B. Conlon; M. I. Rothman.
200
"It was the men who had good religious and home training
who stood their ordeal best," the chaplain said.
General Mark Clark states, "We have solid evi-
dence after all the returns were in from Big Switch
that the Communists still held 3,404 men prisoners,
including 944 Americans."
In September Chaplain O'Leary issued the follow-
ing roster of Chaplains of the Division :
Church
Name Rank Assignment affiliation
O'LEARY, F. T CDR Div Chap. . . . RC
MOORE, J. T LTJG Hq Bn RC
ROTHMAN, M. I . . . LTJG Hq Bn JEWISH
EDWARDS, T. V LT Sh Pty Bn . . . RC
HAMMERL, P. C. LTJG "E" Med. . . . RC
PIEPER, P. F. W LTJG Sh Pty Bn . . LUTH
RICE, L. F LCDR 1st CSG RC
SCHNICK, H. L LTJG 1st Svc Bn. . BAP (S)
SCHROERLUKE, LTJG 1st Arm EVAN&
H. P Amph REF
SMITH, R. W LTJG 7th MT Bn . . BAP (S)
TACKETT, J. H LTJG 1st Eng Bn . . METH
VINSON, W. H LTJG 1st Ord Bn . . BAP (S)
1ST MARINES
HOFF, C. P LCDR 1st Bn LUTH
CHAMBERS, S. D LT 2d Bn PRESBV
BRENGARTNER, LT 3d Bn RC
R. E.
5TH MARINES
LYONS, E. V LCDR 1st Bn PRESBY
BAKKER, P. J LT 2d Bn BAP (A)
ERNST, E. F LTJG 3d Bn RC
7TH MARINES
NORDBY, W. H LT 1st Bn LUTH
FLOYD, E. O LTJG 2d Bn BAP (S)
BARRY, A. J LTJG 3d Bn RC
I1TH MARINES
STRETCH, R. N LCDR Hq Btry PE
BASSETT, W. T LTJG BAP (S)
CONLON, J. G LTJG 4th Bn RC
DOWD, F. A LT RC
KANE, J. A LTJG RC
Awards
Two chaplains were given Letters of Commendation.
Chaplain E. Vaughn Lyons as regimental chaplain
. . . displayed outstanding ability and professional skill.
Throughout the period, he diligently provided moral and
spiritual guidance and comfort to the men of the unit.
During periods when the regiment was engaged in combat,
he devoted extremely long hours and disregarded his per-
sonal fatigue in order to aid and comfort the wounded
Marines. On numerous occasions, he rendered invaluable
assistance in evacuating the casualties. His outstanding
attention to duty, initiative and resourcefulness served as
an inspiration to all who observe[d] him.
Similarly, it is said of Chaplain Richard G.
Hutcheson, Jr., that he
. . . displayed outstanding ability and professional skill.
When the battalion was deployed in support of the main line
of resistance, he labored unceasingly in ministering to the
moral and spiritual needs of all Marines in his care. He
made himself constantly available and sought opportunities
to counsel and aid those in need. Despite heavy artillery
and mortar fire, he could always be found in an endangered
area rendering medical and spiritual aid. His outstanding
example of integrity and physical and moral courage served
as an inspiration to men of all faiths and contributed
materially to the high morale of the battalion. Lieutenant
Hutcheson's indomitable spirit and conduct throughout were
in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval
Service.
With the cessation of fighting on the front there
was an accompanying increase in attendance at Divine
Worship in the Division.
Chapel & Worship
A great deal of interest was paid to the construc-
tion of houses of worship by the various units. Win-
ter would arrive all too soon and buildings would not
only provide shelter but would also enhance the
spirit of reverence at the services. One such project
was that of the 2d Battalion 1st Marines. Chaplain
Chambers states that,
The last engagement of the war before the ceasefire had
been very intense, fraught with heavy casualties on "Boulder
City" and "East Berlin." Consequently, when we moved off
of the MLR on the appointed day after the truce, the men
were anxious to have their own chapel of more permanent
construction than merely a tent or a cleared spot on the
side of a hill; and they wanted a memorial chapel to the
memory of those who were left behind. What they turned
out was a prize of ingenuity.
The MLR had to be vacated within 72 hours, as I recall,
and a demilitarized zone established. That meant that what-
ever was to be salvaged from the line bunkers had to be
brought south quickly. The men of the battalion worked
around the clock to dismantle and save the tremendous
amount of wood, metal, and other construction items stowed
up forward. Captain Paul Reigert, our S-4 officer, provided
one truck for the chapel and into it went a load of
the huge timbers used in the bunker constiuction. The
beams were 12 x 12 x 16 feet long. They were taken right
out of the front line fortifications. Our problem, however,
now was to get these into usable timber for a chapel. Three
cartons of cigarettes did the trick. An old Korean with a
sawmill worked feverishly to cut these monsters into 2 x 4's
and 4 x 4's.
We selected the highest hill of our new encampment for
the chapel site. A dozer cleared a level plain and the con-
struction began. The beams cut by the Korean provided the
framework and skeleton of the chapel. It was 24 feet wide
and 70 feet long with a 10-foot chancel area. Around the
frame we stretched chicken wire 3 feet high on both sides
201
Conference.
A conference is held at the 5th Marine Regiment's officers mess. Left to right: Chaplain F. T. O'Leary; Col. E. D. Martin,
Jr.; commanding officer, 5th Regiment, Chaplain S. D. Bennett, FMF Pacific chaplain, and Chaplain R. E. Jenkins.
of the chapel's length. A good mixture of mud and straw was
applied to this to make a very substantial wall. The upper
area of about 3 feet was left open since the weather was still
exceedingly hot.
The roof posed the next problem, but a carton of soap was
traded for a truck of straw and a thatched roof took shape.
We gave it a "haircut" and it looked as shipshape as any
Korean dwelling. A steeple topped the front of the chapel
and we capped that with straw too. A Major Young, our
S-3 officer, ran across a bell in a neighboring community. I
never did learn what the barter price was but he donated
that and every week thenceforth it woke him up for Divine
Services.
... a 16-foot white cross on the hill overlooking the camp
made this the most significant sight for miles around. It
was not long until the steps up the side of the hill were worn
smooth by those who came to worship in the 2d Battalion's
Memorial Chapel.
One distinctive feature of the chapel was a picture
which was hung over the altar. This was a print of
a likeness of Christ composed of over 86,000 Korean
letter characters made by a prisoner behind the
bamboo curtain. The ideograms were quotations
from the Gospel of Matthew by the artist which he
had recalled while in prison. This picture was
donated to the chapel by the Young Nak Orphanage.
It is partly this work in building the chapel that is
cited in the award of a second Letter of Commenda-
tion to Chaplain Chambers. His additional work
in the field of relief is noted,
... he contributed immeasurably in the construction of a
modern battalion chapel. Constantly aware of the problems
of the men whose moral and spiritual guidance was his pri-
mary goal he was sympathetic, realistic and always helpful.
He earned the confidence and loyalty of the officers and
enlisted men with whom he was associated. On another
occasion he cheerfully worked long and arduous hours in
preparation for a series of Christmas parties held for Korean
children and residents of the refugee center. His thorough
planning and sound supervision were evidenced by the great
volume of contributions received and the ultimate success
of regimental area Christmas parties. His steadfast devotion
to duty and dedication to a worthy cause maintained a better
understanding between the Republic of Korea and United
Nations Forces.
Another chapel built and dedicated to those lost in
the unit was that constructed by the 11th Marine
Artillery Regiment. It was called the St. Barbara
Chapel. Col. Manly L. Curry, Commanding Of-
ficer, presented a bell to the chapel. The first
services were conducted by Chaplains R. N. Stretch
and J. A. Kane. The latter was assisted in the cele-
bration of the Mass by Chaplain O'Leary. The cost
of the chapel was defrayed by offerings of members
and friends of the regiment. The stonework was
202
Church Call is sounded announcing the dedicatory service for the chapel of the 2d Battalion, 1st Marines.
Chambers led the men in the building of this place of worship.
Chaplain
designed and built by men in the unit. This chapel
was also built in the center of the 11th Marine Com-
mand Post. It was completed and dedicated on
Thanksgiving Day, 1953. Chaplain S. B. Bennett,
chaplain, FMF, Pac, writing later about the chapels
as he saw them on an inspection made in May, had
this to say,
I recently visited these chaplains serving with the Marines
in Japan and Korea. The effective work they are doing is
exemplified by the large church attendance in their beautiful
chapels. The most conspicuous and the most central spot
was selected for the location of these chapels. No other
building in the area is photographed as often as they are.
They stand as a constant reminder of God and His everlast-
ing presence. There is an atmosphere of reverence and
appreciation wherever they can be seen. The commanding
officers and the men are proud of these monuments of joy
and beauty because they made them possible by various
means of forethought and labor. Of course they require
constant vigilance for cleanliness and upkeep. The new
men soon feel these chapels belong to them.
About this time Chaplain Murray I. Rothman was
awarded the Letter of Commendation. Concerning
this chaplain it is noted that
. . . His personal warmth, initiative and keen understanding
of the fighting men and their problems made his presence
an important factor in maintaining the high morale of the
division. As the only chaplain of his particular faith in
the division, he made weekly visits to each front line regiment
and battalion conducting religious service, personal con-
sultations and spiritual ministration. Expressing complete
disregard for his personal safety, he once visited the personnel
on an outpost located far forward of the main line of re-
sistance for religious consolation and ministration despite
203 —
Saint Barbara's Chapel.
Chaplain E. J. Nerthling, left, chaplain with the the 1 1th Marine Regiment shows Chaplain S. B. Bennett, FMF Pacific chaplain,
the memorial plaque on the new chapel.
Chaplain Bennett Pays a Call.
Chaplain Bennett talks with the chaplains in front of the 5th
Marines Memorial Chapel. (Left to right) Pictured here
are P. A. Johnson; Chaplain S. B. Bennett, FMF Pacific
chaplain ; R. F. Jenkins ; and F. A. Dowd.
Another Meeting.
Chaplain C. E. Rains meets Chaplain Bennett in front of the
chapel of the 2d Battalion, 7th Marines.
— 204 —
the fact that he was subjected to hostile mortar and small
arms fire. His regular visits to the hospital ships were of
great comfort to the wounded Marines of all faiths within
the division. He was selected and served commendably as
chaplain during the repatriation of prisoners of war.
Chaplain Rothman was released from active duty on
27 November 1953. The new Jewish chaplain was
Richard Saul Sternberger, who reported 1 7 November.
Another chaplain receiving the same decoration was
Chaplain Emmet O. Floyd in which it is stated that
. . . During the last days of bitter fighting he frequently
disregarded his personal safety by exposing himself to heavy
concentrations of enemy artillery and mortar fire to aid
the wounded and render spiritual comfort to the personnel
of the regiment, regardless of faith. During the period of
reorganization and development of the main battle positions
following the cessation of hostilities, when the situation was
tense and the troops performed hard physical labor under
extremely adverse field conditions, he continued to circulate
amongst the men delivering spiritual solace to those who
requested it and by his personal example contributed mate-
rially to the successful accomplishment of the regiment's
assigned mission.
Clergy Visitations
Two distinguished visitors paid visits to the
forces in Korea during the Christmas Season. One
was Bishop William C. Martin, President of the
National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
and President of the Council of Bishops of the Meth-
odist Church, who returned from his trip commend-
ing the commands for their interest and concern in
moral and spiritual matters. He praised the work
of the chaplains and was especially impressed with the
1st Marine Division. Bishop Martin said,
Thousands of them came during that snowy, freezing
Christmas week, to bow in prayer in the chapels they had
built with their own hands. As we reached the front lines,
where they look across the 2 /a -mile- wide No-Man's Land of
the demilitarized zone to watch the enemy digging in,
many hundreds of them came to services, their guns in
their hands.
Cardinal Francis Spellman, a perennial 4 visitor of the
troops, reported that he had his largest congregation
since making these trips.5 He stated that more than
6,000 men attended one of the services held for the
1st Marine Division. It was also about this time that
Rabbi Eichhorn conducted a series of retreats for
Jewish chaplains in Japan and Korea.
Chaplain Cameron P. Hoff tells about the first
Christmas after the truce. He says,
We heard the bells at Christmas. Over the frozen rice
paddies they pealed their joyful song. Salvaged from some
4 This was his third Christmas tour of the Korean area.
5 His visit was from 22 December^!- January. Chaplain
Giles Webster was his personal escort.
ruined temple where once a pagan god was worshipped their
melodic voices now praised the Living God. From the
thatch-roofed native dwellings bright-eyed babies and
wrinkled, old, "papa-sans" watched in wonder as the grace-
ful, lighted Christmas tree shed its colorful radiance upon the
frozen parade ground. Where only a Christmas ago the
sullen throb of bombers filled the air now the heavens were
glad with the sound of carols.
We heard the bells at Christmas as we gathered in our
chapel on the hill. A hundred candles spoke softly to the
night, and we remembered when lights were afraid to shine
as we listened in the unrelieved darkness and sirens shrieked
their warning. We know the meaning of a silent night. We
have lived through other nights made hideous by the shriek of
shrapnel, the deadly chatter of machine gun and rifle, the
dull crash of enemy mortar and artillery. Now in a silent
night "all is calm, all is bright."
We heard the bells at Christmas while we remembered
those for whom the bells tolled not many months ago. They
Christmas Vistor.
Bishop W. C. Martin looks through a B.C. Scope at an ob-
servation point overlooking Panmunjom, on his visit during
the Christmas holidays. Bishop Martin was the president
of the National Council of Churches.
— 205 —
were among the worshipers last Christmas, meeting in tiny-
groups wherever the chaplain could call a congregation
together. They gave their lives on the treacherous raids and
patrols in "no-man's land." They died valiantly on savage
Korean hills in a war-spawned hell of steel and flame and
fanatic enemy hordes. Now the bells are singing "sleep in
heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace."
We heard the bells at Christmas and they brought to mind
the church bells which ring out in country and city and town
back home. Some of our men are spending their first
Christmas far from their homes and loved ones. There are
lonely hearts in Korea at Christmas. Many of the familiar
Christmas customs are missing. All but the simplest holiday
trappings are absent. The mission of American forces in
Korea cannot pause even for this Holy Day. The lonely
outposts overlooking the demarkation zone must be manned.
The fortified bunkers and the long main battle position must
be occupied. Even in the various command posts there are
security tasks and essential services which must be performed.
Still the bells are singing a glad song at Christmas. The
glory and wonder of the Saviour's birth lies upon the earth
this night. Over the still-broken native villages, over the
shell-cratered hills, over the silent wasteland where the
enemy keeps his careful vigil the bells are sounding. As the
chaplains go from chapel to mess-hall to crowded bunker
the carols follow and the Christmas Gospel gladdens the
hearts of men.
One problem was created when Chaplain Stern-
berger was released from active duty about the middle
of May and the Division was left without a Jewish
chaplain. He had stayed until after the celebration
of Passover. Chaplain O'Leary wrote in July, "We
run into trouble every Sunday in our attempts to
'chopper' an Army Jewish chaplain for services.
Please rush the new rabbi to us as fast as practicable."
Due to the scarcity of Jewish chaplains Chaplain H. T.
Miller did not arrive until 24 September to represent
that faith.
Chaplain O'Leary was detached as Division chap-
lain the 1st of July. He was relieved by Chaplain
L. M. C. Vosseler. He was awarded a Letter of
Commendation, the citation of which reads in part,
He demonstrated a remarkable foresight and determina-
tion in caring for the spiritual welfare of all the Marines
in the division. An understanding, capable, and persevering
leader, he skillfully organized his section in such a manner
that divine services were conducted within all the units of
the division and spiritual guidance was available to all. De-
spite the most adverse conditions of terrain and weather
and with complete disregard for his personal comfort, he
repeatedly traveled long distances to the most remote units
in order that all Marines might have the opportunity to at-
tend services of their particular faith. He was constantly
present during the repatriation of United Nations prisoners
of war to ensure that the men who had so recently undergone
the hardships and deprivations of prison life had every oppor-
tunity to receive immediately on their return the spiritual
consolation and guidance they so eagerly sought.
By the time of the change of divisions chaplains so
many changes had been made in the roster that the
list for 1 July 1954 contains nearly all new chaplains.
Name
O'LEARY, F. T
TUXBURY, V. W . . .
BARRENGER, A. N .
HEIM, R. L
JONES, W. L
KENNY, T. A
KUHLMANN, J. L. .
MARSH, H.J
JOHNSON, D. A
Rank
CDR
LCDR
LTJG
LTJG
LTJG
LTJG
LTJG
LTJG
LTJG
Assignment
Div Chap
Hq Bn Chap
1st Ser Bn. .
1st MT Bn
7th MT Bn .
1st SP Bn . ..
1st Eng Bn
1st Tk Bn
1 st Ar Am Bn
Church
aff'hation
RC
BAPT (A)
PE
RC
BAPT (Si
RC
AofG
L. D. S.
EvMiss-
Cov
1ST MARINES
MARTINEAU, E. R . . LCDR H&S Co
CANFIELD, R LTJG 2d Bn . .
FAY, C. I LTJG
HITCHENS, W. C LTJG
RC
PRESBY
(U)
1st Bn METH
3d Bn METH
5TH MARINES
JENKINS, R. W LCDR H&S Co.
ELWOOD, C LT IstBn...
IVERS, V. J LTJG 3d Bn . .
BAPT (A)
LUTH
RC
THEOBALD, D. K
;th marines
LCDR H&S Co
KIEFER, R. W LTJG
RAINS, C. E LTJG
GIBBONS, M. F LTJG
PRESBY
(USA)
IstBn LUTH
2d Bn BAPT (S)
3d Bn RC
1 1TH MARINES
HqBtry LUTH
2d Bn Chr. SC
4th Bn RC
NETHERLING, E. J . . LT
QL ISENBERRYJ.W LTJG
KANE, J. A LT
3d Marine Division
Mention should be made of the reactivation of the
3d Marine Division which took place on 7 January
1952. This division was moved to Japan on 3 August
1953. It included 25 chaplains of whom Chaplain
I. W. Stultz was the Division chaplain. He wrote in
December about the ministry in Korea and Japan
saying,
In a sense our ministry in Japan and Korea is more im-
portant now than under combat conditions. We are up
against all the problems that are created when troops are
garrisoned in a foreign country. We are fighting monotony,
immaturity, moral illiteracy, and every factor that makes a
contribution to moral degeneracy.
He then speaks of the chapel centered programs and
moral leadership programs which were geared to meet
the situation. In June 1954 Chaplain Maurus F.
Cook relieved Chaplain Stultz.
206
The 1st Marine Air Wing
For the most part the recognition given to the
chaplains of the Wing was for their participation in
relief work. This will be more fully considered in
a subsequent chapter. The roster of the command
was as follows,
jones, a. cdr
burns, j. j . ... lcdr
lampe, j. h lcdr
fenstermacher, h. f lcdr
o'malley, f. p lt
smith, j. r lt
cloonan, j. f lt
stroman, h. w ltjg
Mcknight, p. c ltjg
1 McKnight was Paul's relief.
Wing Chap PRESBY (US)
FMAVV RC
MAG-12 PRESBY (USA)
lst90MMAABn EVAN & REF
MAG-12 RC
MAG-33 CHRISTIAN
MAG-33 RC
NAZARENE
MAG-16 PRESBY (USA)
In September Chaplain Paul was detached. His
Letter of Commendation includes the following
comments,
He continually gave his attention to sick and wounded
patients who were flown to Japan at all hours of the day
and night, and greatly assisted the medical officers by main-
taining an exceptionally high degree of morale among the
patients. Lieutenant Commander Paul met and assisted all
replacement drafts reporting for duty in the forward area.
Chapel — Third Division.
A view of a chapel used by marines of the 3d Division. This
chapel is located at Camp McNair, Japan, where the 12th
Marines was located. Mount Fuji is shown in the back-
ground.
It is evident from this that the Wing participated
actively in the movement of the sick and wounded
and of replacements.
Chaplain Lampe was awarded a Bronze Star about
this same time. His citation emphasizes the work
which was done for needy civilians,
Continually seeking ways to aid Korean civilians, he in-
stigated and supervised the construction and furnishing of
a new orphanage building to house 150 destitute Korean
children. His ceaseless endeavors permitted the purchase
of rice land for hungry Koreans and the delivery of tons
of clothing and toys to needy civilians in the combat zone.
Dedicated to the humanitarian principles embodied in the
precept of his faith, his activities resulted directly in greater
health, comfort and welfare for hundreds of helpless Ko-
rean families and orphans, and enhanced goodwill for all
United Nations forces.
Before the change of Wing Chaplains, Chaplain
Bennett, FMF Pac chaplain, on his visit in September
1953 noted the high morale of the chaplains, the new-
chapels under construction, and other aspects of the
command.
Chaplain Paul of MSWG-17 had been detached
without a relief at Itami. Chaplain McKnight was
selected to go there. It would appear that, like other
areas where troops were stationed in Japan, problems
of morality and intermarriage were present at Itami
so that a chaplain was essential. Chaplain McKnight
was to continue covering MAG-16 (at Honshin
which was about 15 minutes away by helicopter).
Chaplain J. D. Gould, Southern Baptist, arrived Oc-
tober 1953.
Upon the detachment of Chaplain Allen Jones,
Wing Chaplain, he was awarded the Legion of Merit.
Concerning his work one reads,
Thoroughly understanding the problems confronting men
in a combat zone, Commander Jones capably administered
to the spiritual needs of military and civilian personnel of
207 —
Gift From the Fleet.
Chaplain John J. Burns, left, and Chaplain Allen Jones both
of the 1st Marine Air Wing exhibit money orders received
from the VALLEY FORGE for the Memorial Orphanage.
all faiths. Handicapped by the widespread dispersion of
Wing units, he traveled throughout the combat area to
establish a close and effective liaison between the chaplains
of outlying units and the Wing chaplain's office . . . His
talks to civic organizations in Korea and Japan promoted
good will and mutual understanding between the Wing com-
mand and the populace of these two countries. Dedicated to
the humanitarian principles embodied in the precept of his
faith, he was instrumental in the purchase of rice land for
undernourished Korean orphans and the delivery of tons of
clothing and food to needy civilians in the combat zone.
His untiring efforts resulted directly in greater health, com-
fort, and welfare for hundreds of helpless Korean families,
thereby greatly enhancing indigenous friendship for all
friendly forces in Korea.
With the departure of Chaplain Jones the new Wing
Chaplain, Jeremiah F. Gearan, Roman Catholic, took
over the spiritual leadership of the command.
Another chaplain decorated with the Bronze Star
at this time was Chaplain Harry F. Fenstermacher.
It is recognized that
His endeavors permitted the purchase of rice land for
hungry Koreans and the delivery of clothing and toys to
needy civilians in the combat zone. Working in close liaison
with Korean military personnel, he was instrumental in help-
ing to establish the Chaplains Corps for the Republic of Ko-
rea Navy. Dedicated to the humanitarian principles
embodied in the precept of his faith, his activities resulted
in greater health, comfort, and welfare for helpless Korean
families and orphans and enhanced goodwill for all United
Nations forces.
A Letter of Commendation was awarded Chaplain
Joseph F. Cloonan calling attention to the fact that
he
. . . provided inspirational guidance in ministering to the
spiritual needs of men in the forward area. He was instru-
mental in the direction of the successful operation of a spe-
cial Catholic orphanage at Pohang, Korea. Enhancing good
will through his ceaseless endeavors to aid needy civilians,
he personally delivered hundreds of packages of food and
clothing to destitute Korean families. Dedicated to the hu-
manitarian principles embodied in the precept of his faith,
Lieutenant Cloonan's activities resulted directly in greater
comfort and welfare for many helpless Korean families and
orphans, and enhanced the morale and efficiency of the 1st
Marine Aircraft Wing.
One other award of the Commendation Ribbon
was made to Chaplain Francis P. O'Malley which
noted that his
. . . endeavors assisted in the construction of a school for
a Korean orphanage and the delivery of clothing, food, and
milk to needy civilians in the combat zone. He gave val-
uable and untiring assistance as a member of the Korean
Rehabilitation Board which controls the building of schools,
milk stations and sanitation facilities for Korean refugees
and orphans. Dedicated to the humanitarian principles em-
bodied in the precepts of his faith, his activities resulted in
greater health, comfort, and welfare for helpless Korean
families and orphans and enhanced goodwill for all United
Nations forces.
The wing also built chapels. As Chaplain James
B. Martin expressed it,
Our Marine Air Group has been working its way out of
the mud. Fortunately, in 3 months we were able to give
the men a newly painted and 100 percent enlarged chapel,
seating 154. It is converted to two small chapels for weekly
and private devotions. No one under the same circum-
stances has a nicer religious arrangement, anywhere in the
1st Marine Air Wing.
Chaplain Samuel B. Bennett had previously stated
that this Chapel — MAG-1 1 — was too small, but plans
were being made to enlarge it.
Forces Afloat
The continual problem for chaplains afloat was the
matter of coverage. During October through De-
cember, at the invitation of RADM, W. D. Johnson,
Chaplain Herbert C. Albrecht of the KEASARGE
functioned as coordinator for all the ships in Task
Force 77. Dispatches were sent out to the ships
inviting them to send in requests for services prior
to 1200 Friday. Chaplains were then scheduled for
the extra services.
. . . the admiral issued a regular operational plan for
Sundays to move chaplains around in the task force mostly
by helicopter. Chaplains were "hopping" all over the task
force in accordance with this "Sky Flight Plan."
— 208
The Flag PIO issued this communique :
From CTF 77
FOR PIO X RELIGIOUS SERVICES ON SUNDAY ARE
A USUAL ROUTINE FOR FOLKS WHO LIVE ON
LAND BUT TO SEAGOING MEN, SCATTERED IN
FORMATION WITH A NAVAL TASK FORCE THEY
ARE SOMETHING SPECIAL X PARA X TODAY,
WITH TASK FORCE 77, OPERATING IN THE FAR
EASTERN WATERS ON TRAINING EXERCISES,
NEARLY EVERY SHIP IN THIS UNIT WAS AF-
FORDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO PASS THE WORD
THAT RELIGIOUS SERVICES WOULD BE HELD X
MANY OF THE SMALLER SHIPS DO NOT HAVE A
CHAPLAIN ABOARD AND HELICOPTERS WERE
USED TO FLY 6 NAVY CHAPLAINS FROM CAR-
RIERS AND A CRUISER TO DESTROYERS OF THE
FORCE X THE AERIAL "SKY PILOTS" CONDUCTED
19 SERVICES FOR THEIR SEAGOING CONGREGA-
TIONS IN MESS HALLS, RECEPTION ROOMS AND
ON HANGAR DECKS X
Admiral Johnson stated that the willingness of the
chaplains concerned to travel by helicopter and high-
line in order to conduct services has been an inspira-
tion to all hands. Chaplain Joseph M. Broadley
reports on his circuit riding during this period
While attached to the Staff of Commander Landing Ship
Flotilla ONE, and in the Far East, I followed the practice
of riding on different ships of the Flotilla (LST, ARL,
LSMR). During October 1953, I spent 2 weeks on the
LSMR 401 while it was on patrol along the west coast of
Korea. To my knowledge this type ship had not had a
chaplain aboard for duty, other than to conduct Divine
Worship, prior to this time.
Chaplain Kenneth D. Killin of the BATAAN car-
ried a small kit which he had made himself for the
purpose of holding services for small groups.
A number of chaplains assisted the fleet as they had
in the past. Chaplain Thomas D. Parham is men-
tioned as conducting Character Education lectures
for Destroyer Squadron 22. Chaplain Daniel J. Sil-
ver reports that he conducted Jewish services over a
territory extending from the Formosa Straits to Korea.
He also found time to coach a football team, the
Yokosuka Seahawks.
Chaplain Hedges Capers in the SICILY tells of the
fine group of Christian laymen which he had on
board
The active participation of the men on the USS SICILY
was unusual. We had a group of approximately 15 who
consistently took part in all worship services. For the Sun-
day services, one man would read the scriptures, another
would lead in the responsive reading. This same practice
prevailed in the Tuesday night Bible class. The Thursday
night fellowship hour was conducted exclusively by the men
with previous assistance by me. I used to end this meeting
with closing remarks. The Saturday night prayer meeting
was conducted solely by the men. The Sunday evening
service was conducted by the men. My only contributions
took the form of advice and coaching beforehand. This
entire program was carried on while we were at sea and in
foreign ports.
Hospital ships continued in the area. Chaplain
O'Leary in the HAVEN indicates that he aided a
number of servicemen of different nationalities.
MSTS
Chaplain James R. Spaid speaking of the daily
newspaper aboard his ship had this item of interest,
On a number of occasions we have carried United Nations
troops (Puerto Ricans, Ethiopians, Greeks, French, Turks
etc.), and in each instance a special effort was made to
condense the world news, [draw up] schedules of religious and
other activities that would be of interest to these men and
published [them] in the regular daily paper in their own re-
spective languages. While on board the GEN. WM. BLACK
(T-AP135), we carried the French Battalion from Inchon,
Korea to Saigon, Indo-China (during the last week of Oc-
tober 1 953 ) . Since these were the only troops aboard we
published the entire paper in French and English in columns
side by side. In this way the French troops had an op-
portunity to pick up a little English and our Military Depart-
ment and Crew were able to study the equivalent in French.
The men seemed to appreciate this effort on the part of the
newspaper staff which also happened to be staffed by French-
men with the exception of my yeoman.
Chaplain Russell A. Cervin wrote a lengthy pic-
ture of the work of the MSTS Chaplain called "To
Korea and Back."' The closing paragraphs capture
the feeling of the troops as they went to, or returned
from Korea.
Early in the summer of 1951 a process of rotation of
troops in Korea began. Prior to that time many of our ships
returned to the United States without passengers. Before
that time everything was going the other way. Since that
time we have carried full loads both ways.
Embarkation of troops leaving the States for Korea has
its sorrows. I've seen women cling to their men and have
to be forcibly pried loose from them so they could board
the vessel. Just after pulling away from the dock an of-
ficer of many years in the Army said to me one day, "After
being in the Army as long as I have you are supposed to be
tough. But I'm not very tough right now." A tear glistened
on his cheek as his wife and child were standing on the dock
straining for a last glimpse of husband and father.
The attitudes of men going to combat are different from
those of the men returning from it. On the way over they
are somewhat tense as they face an unknown future. There
is a certain amount of effervescence in church going which
is sloughed off on the way home. Outbound church serv-
ices are crowded with habitual churchgoers plus those with
"foxhole religion." On the way home the men who have
always gone to church are present plus a number of others
who have found a vital religious experience on the way over
209
or on the field of battle. Though the attendance going
home is not quite as large, it is often more stable.
When leaving the States for Korea the men are more
serious in attitude than the men returning, though those
coming home are more mature. Especially is this evident in
the harbor at Inchon. Going down our gangway headed for
a long period of duty in Korea the men are serious and quiet.
But when the LSU's pour out the homecoming troops on the
floating dock there are wild shouts of joy and a great deal of
joking and laughter. I took some pictures of the dock full
of happy soldiers waiting to climb our gangway. Everyone
yelled and waved and wanted to get into the act. They
were filled with relief and joy at leaving Korea.
Rest and Rehabilitation
One of the problems that existed among troops
should be mentioned. This had to do with R and R
(Rest and Rehabilitation) . Chaplain James A. Whit-
man, Bapt(A), ComNavFe Chaplain, writing in
March states that the 1st Division and the 1st MAW
send men to Japan for R and R continually. Chaplain
Whitman insisted on the necessity of the proper brief-
ing of newly arrived chaplains because of this
problem.
This R and R situation is a most serious problem effecting
American prestige in the whole Far East. I feel this brief-
ing is very vital and most important to the moral welfare of
the men the chaplain will serve in Korea. Part of the brief-
ing process is to encourage the chaplain to go to Tokyo
where he contacts chapel centers, religious leaders and tries
to get a fair picture of what worth-while things servicemen
can do in a city like Tokyo. (Most men gravitate to Tokyo
no matter where their R and R transportation drops them
off.)
The Far East Command Chaplains' Committee, of which
I am a member, is trying desperately to determine how to
improve the R and R program and how to help servicemen
better use their time spent in Japan, especially those who
come for 8-day periods from Korea.
Far East Chaplains of Army, Navy, and Air Force are all
sure that much of the problem must be solved through the
leadership and "on the spot knowledge" of chaplains serving
units in Korea; and this character training must be done '
largely before the briefing given to men just before jumping |
to Japan for leave.
End of Campaign
The campaign was over. Many of the Reserve
chaplains had already or were planning to return to
civilian activities. As has been noted most of the
men now with the divisions and the airgroups were
new. An audit of the Korean conflict reveals that
out of
. . . the nearly 950 chaplains who were on active duty
during the time of the Korean hostilities — i.e., from June
1950 to the cease-fire agreement of July 1953 — 166 Navy-
chaplains had served with the Marines in Korea and ap-
proximately 150 others served aboard U.S. ships in Korean
waters, making a total of about 316. This was 35 percent
of the total Corps.
Chaplain Samuel B. Bennett answers the question
that many people in the United States were asking,
"What are the chaplains doing now that hostilities
have ceased?" It is not a difficult question to answer,
because it is what they always do in peace time.
Chaplain Bennett's reply was
They are ministering to the needs of the men. These
needs are not peculiar to Korea and Japan. Perhaps there
is more sensitivity toward God and our homes because they
are so far away. I know there is a constant hunger for
companionship and fellowship. This gives the chaplain an
opportunity to be close and offer guidance and give assurance
that God cares and that each person counts.
Korea must still be occupied. The needs of the
civilian population were crying to be met. The prob-
lems of all occupation troops were now to descend
upon the chaplains. In most cases a great deal of
the attention of the men was directed toward helping
others and in the process their own problems faded
into insignifiance, something of the magnitude of
these projects is now to be considered.
— 210 —
CHAPTER TWELVE
CIVILIAN ASSISTANCE
Civilian Assistance
"I have given it to . . . the sojourner, the father-
less, and the widow according to all the command-
ments which Thou hast commanded me." Deut.
26:13.
No history of naval chaplains in Korea would be
complete if it were confined purely to chaplains' activi-
ties in assigned military units. It is essential that one
have at least a partial picture of the deeds which the
chaplains accomplished in other areas. Nationals
came out of the hills on numerous occasions to at-
tend the divine services held by chaplains. Through
the chaplains' examples at Inchon the Korean Marine
and Navy chaplaincies were established.
Korean service troops worked and died beside the
Marines and were ministered unto by Navy chaplains.
Through chaplains working among civilians, churches
were rebuilt, sermons were preached and sacraments
were administered even for those confined to leper
colonies. Hospitals, schools, and clinics were aided
and even at times established to care for the needy.
The greatest accomplishment was found in the con-
cern the chaplains, and the personnel of their units,
had for the "little hungry ragged beggar orphans
who roamed the streets and fields," and what they
did for them.
In recounting this saga, due to lack of information,
many groups and individuals will not be given their
full credit but the true recognition of the deeds of
men are best written in the hearts of those whom they
aid. However, it is hoped that this account will at
least, in part, pay tribute to one of the truly great
achievements of Navy chaplains in Korea.
Previously in this work certain in 
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